The Moon's Mysterious Play
by Zellezra
Summary: Okay guys. I wrote this a long time ago, and to be perfectly frank, I'm ashamed of this fic, but I just don't have the heart to take it down! I want to rewrite it someday i.e. give the story an actual plot! . Until then, please, just, don't read it.
1. Change

**Hello Darlings! Okay, so here's the revision of the first chapter. Not really sure if it's any better, and I know that it's ridiculous that I redo all this before updating more but man, I've been out of the loop. Lol.**

**I'd also like to apologize to the readers whom I left hanging. I'm really sorry guys. Life really took over and I just lost all focus on this story. But I hope to make up for that! Okay, moving on!**

**Disclaimer: I did not create nor do I own anything to do with either Fushigi Yuugi or Sailor Moon. All rights belong to Yu Watase and Naoko Takeuchi. I do not make any money for the writing of this story.**

* * *

Usagi Tsukino ran out of her former lover's apartment as fast as she could. She yanked the torn flaps of her white t-shirt to one side, hiding her exposed flesh. She was bruised and bleeding in various places. She thanked god her jeans were left alone as she stormed out of the apartment building. 

"That wasn't Mamo-chan…!" She huffed as she ran, passing by the Crown Arcade without a pause. An old friend spotted her from inside and quirked his head as she hurried quickly by. Andrew checked his watch; this was the usual time she stopped by for a drink. Strange. Was her shirt torn?

Usagi stumbled up the porch and through the front door. She nearly tripped over the first step of the staircase in her hurry to her bedroom. Once inside she slammed the door behind her and leaned back, slowly sinking to her knees. She took a moment to calm down. It stung when she blinked. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her body ached.

Usagi's beloved Mamo-chan, Endymion, her one true love had turned on her. His feelings seemed to change so quickly last night. It was almost as if he'd turned into someone else completely.

"_Mamo-chan?" The tall dark haired man sat up in his bed, unashamed of his nakedness in front of the girl. He leaned his head back and sighed heavily, he then grunted in response. She smiled staring at his back, tracing a slender finger down the crease between his shoulder blades. "What do you think we'll be like ten years from now?" He cocked a brow at her question but didn't bother to look at her._

"_Why do you ask?" Usagi shrugged and propped up on one elbow, resting her head in her palm._

"_I don't know. I suppose I'd just like to know what you think." He mentally rolled his eyes at this. That was such a stupid question. Everyone knew what their future held. "What do you think, Mamo-" Before she finished the question, Mamoru stood from his place and gathered his scattered clothes from the floor. Usagi sat up, a bit confused. When he was finally dressed, she decided to do the same. She stood from bed, a sudden bashful awareness of her nudity putting knots in her stomach; she dressed quickly._

_Mamoru turned to look at her and she silently gasped. His once blue eyes were now clouded by a darkness she couldn't quite describe. She watched his movement for a moment and thought it strange. He carried himself differently now. "M-Mamo-chan?" Usagi stuttered and took a cautious step back. He quirked his head to one side in question with a new look of arrogance in his cloudy eyes._

"_Do you want to know what I think, darling?" He stepped forward, closing in on his future wife. Usagi bumped into the and frantically scanned the room for an exit. It was close, maybe three feet. She decided to run for it. She leapt for the door but predictably tripped over Mamoru's outstretched leg and hit the carpeted floor with a groan._

_Mamoru crouched down carelessly flipped the girl on her back. He touched the back of her neck to cradle her head as he watched the crybaby do what she did best. Tears stung the girl eyes as panic rose in her chest. What was he doing?_

"_Now my love, this is how it will be. You will do as I tell you, and if you resist…" He paused a moment to run his hand through her blonde hair. "There will be trouble," he grinned, "for you."_

_Her brows furrowed in sorrow and she bit her lip to stifle a whimper. His grin faded and he scooped her into a tight embrace. "Now, now my little pech'," Usagi grimaced in her terror. She didn't exactly like the thought of being referred to as a fruit, it made her hungry. Not to mention that it sounded creepy._

"_What do you want?" She whispered, her voice trembling. He gave her that grin again and she cringed._

"_Simple love," She waited impatiently for an answer. "Your heart." Her eyes widened in terror and she slapped her hand between her breasts for her locket. It was gone! Mamoru chuckled. Her eyes darted all over the room and finally spotted it on the bed. "Too bad, darling." He clutched her throat with a twisted grin and she kicked her feet on hysterical impulse. He easily subdued her and drew his free hand back before driving it through her chest. She screamed and her body contorted in reaction to the sharp pain._

_Blackness pooled around her chest where his hand was buried. Her eyes slowly clouded over and her body jerked and twitched as he probed her insides. 'This is over…' she thought as hot tears pooled at the corners of her eyes._

"_Sailor Moon!" An unfamiliar voice echoed in her mind._

'_Who… who is it?'_

"_Do not give up, brave maiden. I am here to give you strength." A burst of crimson squelched the darkness of her thoughts. The silhouette of a man approached; fiery red hair cascaded down his neck until meeting his shoulders. His robes were as red as his hair, trimmed in gold and white. He looked absolutely regal, and handsome as can be. What she noticed the most though were his eyes. A deeper red than all the different shades he wore. They were so... _

_Her body convulsed and the man slowly fell from her thoughts. Something warm graced her forehead. Was it the crescent moon symbol? Mamoru growled and shielded his eyes._

_A swarm of red light swallowed the black pool in her chest. It spread slowly to her assailant's arm and he screamed._

_Mamoru yanked his arm out of her chest and stood quickly, leaning against the wall to keep his balance. The girl was helped to her feet by something unseen; she almost thought she felt someone caress her cheek. The soft red light spread over her body, giving her a soft glow._

_Once she gathered her thoughts together she ran to the foot of the bed and stuffed the brooch in her pocket. In the same instant she whirled around and made way for the door but Mamoru beat her to the chase and blocked the exit. He lunged forward to strike the girl and she was sent back to the floor. Her surrounding glow blared ferociously the moment he hit her but quickly died back down once she hit the floor._

Usagi couldn't think of the rest of the abuse she was subjected to. She cried again and buried her face in her hands. When she calmed she wiped her eyes dry and took a deep breath, letting out a controlled sigh to calm her nerves. She scanned her bedroom for a moment. Her school bag was propped against the foot of her bed and she bit her lip while she stared.

With some effort she finally stood. Once reaching her destination to the dresser, she sank to her knees and slid open the bottom dresser drawer. Satisfaction gave her a smile as she found an empty backpack. She took it, not bothering to close the drawer. Sitting up, she opened another drawer and packed a few outfits at random. The top drawer contained more personal articles. She took socks, panties and two bras and carelessly stuffed the articles into one of the larger pockets of her pack. She sifted through a few other things in her room and packed them all in. She zipped the backpack up and sighed, eyeing the room over one last time.

Usagi looked into the mirror that was propped on top her dresser and mentally criticized each injury she noticed. A quick tug ripped the rest of her shirt completely in half. Rummaging through one of her drawers, he found a regular light pink t-shirt and put it on. She was finally prepared to leave and swung her pack over her shoulders.

"Usagi-chan?" Luna's tired voiced asked as she stretched against Usagi's pillow. Usagi cursed inwardly and froze. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed her cat asleep on her bed. Her back faced her guardian but her posture perked up.

"Yes Luna? What is it?" The girl strained to force a chipper tone. Luna yawned, too tired to notice otherwise.

"Where are you off to?" Usagi bit her lip at the cat's question, thinking of an excuse.

"I'm spending the night at Mako-chan's place. She said she'd give me a few cooking lessons." Luna cringed at the thought of the flaky girl's cooking.

"Oh. God knows you need them. I'll see you later, then." Usagi hurried out the door before her cat could think to say anything more.

* * *

Michiru slowly waded in the cool water as she gazed up at the sky with lazy eyes. Haruka sat on the edge of the pool, her feet swishing back and forth in the water. Her gaze blurred as she watched the ripples drift farther away into the water. Her limbs died down as Michiru settled between them with a smile. 

"You seem troubled." She waited for the rugged woman to speak. Haruka opened her mouth, and then closed it. She looked down at the girl in the water and smiled softly. "You miss her, don't you" As she nodded, Michiru took her by the wrists and slowly backed away, inviting Haruka into the water. She slipped in without hesitation and swam closer to her partner. "I miss her too." Michiru wrapped her arms around Haruka's neck and leaned her forehead against her blonde lover's. Haruka grinned and wrapped her arms about Michiru's waist. "Why don't we go see her today? It is Sunday after all." Haruka nodded and kissed her. The princess of Neptune responded to the kiss by deepening it. A moment later it was broken followed by a tight hug.

"I don't know why, but I feel so… anxious." Michiru looked to her love apprehensively. There was a moment of silence before Haruka spoke again. "… Something is going to happen."

* * *

"So, what are we supposed to do then? You're saying we can't do anything about this? Miaka is so depressed over Yui." Tamahome trailed off and bit the tip of his thumb in frustration.

"That is not what I said Tamahome." Hotohori repeated as he rubbed his temples in equal frustration.

"Yui doesn't want to come back, Tama. You have to remember that as well." Chiriko added while scribbling calligraphy on a large piece of parchment. Tamahome sighed heavily and took a seat on the small set of stairs that led to the emperor's thrown. He rested his chin against balled fists and tried to think of some way to make the priestess happy.

Tamahome knew he was only repeating old questions. He knew that Yui was willingly in Seiryu's hands. He wanted immediate results though; he didn't want to see Miaka hurt anymore. He rested his chin against a clenched fist and tried to think of some way he could make the priestess happier. Nuriko approached his good friend and settled next to him.

"Don't worry, Tama-kens, we'll think of something!" The drag queen tried while he slapped a reassuring hand against his friend's back. Everyone shook their head and sighed as Tamahome was slapped from his seat, sounding a loud thud at the base of the stairs as he flopped to the floor. "Oh, heh. Sorry Tama-kens." Tamahome shot to his feet and growled in response to the man's apology.

"Sorry nothing! Watch your strength, damn it!" Silence fell throughout the room and was quickly followed by another aggravated sigh. "I'm going for a walk." With that, Tamahome turned on his heal and left. Nuriko frowned and Hotohori shook his head. Chiriko on the other hand was too wound up in his writing to react, but nevertheless kept up with the conversation.

"Poor guy." Tasuki mumbled as he stepped from the corner of the room.

"I'm worried about him." Nuriko spoke up as concern set his expression.

"I'm worried about _both_ of them. They've been through so much." Tasuki replied. Mitsukake looked to Nuriko optimistically.

"They'll get through this. When they're together… they can get through anything." Chichiri agreed to the healer's words and nodded.

"It's true, ya' know. We'll all find a way to help those two and eventually get Yui back."

* * *

"Chad, get the phone!" Rei growled as she turned back toward the fire and tried to regain her concentration. "Damn slacker, never does a lick of work around here." She mumbled, bowing her head and folding her hands. A few taps at the door was all it took for the raven haired hot head to flip her lid. She stood from her place and flung the sliding door open. Chad cowered before her as he held the wireless phone up at her. She snatched it from him and sent him a menacing look. 

"Hello?"

"Oh, Rei! Thank goodness. I'm sorry to interrupt you if you're busy but…" The voice on the other end silenced and her breath trembled. Rei furrowed her brows in question.

"Mrs. Tsukino? Is everything all right?" Ikuko shook her head, then feeling foolish as she was on the phone. But her throat was closing up, if she spoke it would all boil over. She took a moment to steady her breath.

"Is Usagi with you by any chance?" Rei's confusion quickly turned into concern.

"No, she's not. Has something happened? Is she okay?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out!" Rei winced and moved the phone away from her ear. The woman's tone was hysteric. She quickly apologized. "She's missing, Rei. I've called all her other friends, even Mamoru. No one knows where she is. I'm so worried." She gave up holding things in and her voice suddenly broke.

"How long has she been gone, Mrs. Tsukino?" It took the distraught mother another few seconds to compose herself enough to muster the answer.

"Three days now. I don't know how to find her, Rei. I was hoping you might know where she would be. I've called the police and they've turned up nothing."

"Alright. It's okay Mrs. Tsukino. I'll find her, I promise. Ikuko nodded again and then squeaked a thank you before hesitantly hanging up.

The sickly feeling of panic rose in Rei's chest she cursed. Three days before she heard any word? She dropped the phone, forgetting to press the off button and ran from the temple. Where on earth was she going to start searching? She rummaged in the oversized pocket of her yukata as she barreled down the main street. She flipped open her communicator and blindly dialed as she ran.

Ami flinched at the high pitched ringing of her mini computer and slapped a hand over her thumping heart. She reached in her purse, pulled it out and flipped it open. "Rei." She breathed in relief. "I was about to ca-"

"Where is Usagi?" She demanded and huffed. Ami winced at the tone in her voice.

"Careful Rei, you'll blow out the speakers in this thing!" The genius teased. Rei scowled into the screen, obviously not amused. Ami cut to the chase. "We don't know yet, we haven't found her. We've been searching all day. Meet us down at the park as soon as you can, the outer senshi are on their way as well."

Rei cut the connection and let the communicator fall back into her pocket. She neared a cross street and the light at the crosswalk flashed red. The girl grit her teeth and hustled through the small crowd waiting to cross and darted across. She missed traffic by a hair and the mob waiting to cross shouted selective opinions at the girl's fleeting back.

"Oh, I feel so foolish." Luna spat at herself and paced between Minako's legs.

"Calm down Luna. It's not your fault, you didn't know." Makoto offered and knelt down to smooth the feline's fur. The gesture was hardly a comfort; Luna knew she should have been vigilant. Artimus hopped from his perch on Mina's shoulder and nuzzled the black cat's forehead to encourage her.

Haruka sat on the grass with Michiru's head resting in her lap. The athlete choked back her tears for her lover's sake and gently stroked the girl's aqua hair.

"The princess is in danger. I couldn't live with myself if anything were to happen to her." Michiru whispered gravely as she too was on the verge of tears.

"None of us would be able to." Haruka thought out loud and pounded her fist into the earth. "It's _our_ job to look after her! How could we let a thing like this happen?" Ami placed a hand over her mouth as guilt overloaded her system. The feeling quickly spread to the rest of the group and the silence continued.

Rei tore the group from their guilty ponderings as she came thundering down the park's grassy hill. She finally stopped in front of her friends and doubled over with hands on knees, huffing and puffing. She clutched the white fabric over her chest and lost color as small beads of sweat trickled from her brow. Minako placed a hand on her friend's back and rubbed soothingly. Color slowly came back to the girl's face as her heart slowed to a more reasonable pace.

"I ran… all the way here." She huffed and then stood to her full height.

"All the way from the temple?" Makoto asked with an amused grin. Her question was quickly forgotten when everyone huddled in.

"Now," Artimus started "where have we all searched?" Minako spoke first.

"The first place I checked was at the arcade. I got nothing, but Andrew said he'd seen her earlier in the week. Said she looked like she was in shambles."

"Then I checked the diner. She wasn't there, either. Andrew said the same thing to me, too. He said she was hurried off somewhere." Makoto put in.

"I checked at the school." Silence immediately followed and the wind could be heard sweeping through the blades of grass at their feet.

"Why would you check at school Ami?" Rei asked in confused frustration. "Come on. Usagi at school willingly?" All the while Ami had her finger against her lower lip in contemplation.

"Well," she started defensively. "If she didn't _want_ to be found, perhaps she would go somewhere where no one would think to look for her." Silence followed for another moment; contemplative.

"I suppose you do have a point." Rei admitted. The rest of the women announced where they had searched and found they'd covered most of Tokyo.

"What about Endymion?" Michiru wondered. "No one bothered to ask him?"

"Come to think of it, why isn't he here?" Everyone looked to Rei who'd asked, then to each other. Luna shook her head.

"He's probably searching for her as well; you know how he likes to work alone. We'll try to contact him again later." The black cat jumped into Ami's arms and she looked over each one of the senshi. Conversation broke out as the girls argued where their leader could be. Their mingled voices added to the thick atmosphere.

Rei slowly backed out of the crowd as random scenarios played in her head. A sinking feeling built in her stomach until it traveled to her swelling chest. "Why wouldn't she want to be found?" The crowd was disquieted as the raven haired girl fell back into thought. "We haven't checked the national library yet."

* * *

_What am I doing here?_ Usagi wondered as she sat huddled in the dark corner of a reference room filled with books she didn't care to notice. Her legs were gathered in her folded arms and she rested her head atop her knees, crying yet again. 

She'd actually gone to the library for some privacy; time to think and analyze this particular situation she was in. No one would ever think to look for Usagi Tsukino in a library. On the up side, the place did have some good vending machines, so she was pretty much good to go.

Upon filling up on snacks she spotted the flood of scarlet light shed seen before when she passed out. At first she figured she was just delirious from lack of nutrients. For the first two days she'd been wandering around Tokyo, she was far too depressed to think about filling her usually grumbling belly. Either way though, she'd seen the light and followed it.

She stopped at a door with a wire framed window to prevent larceny or regular entry. She hardly noticed it, or the sign just above that read 'Reference Room. Important Documents. Employees Only.' It was too dark to just peek through the window, so she stepped in.

So here she was, sitting in a darkened reference room for, at the moment, no plausible reason. A strange noise suddenly startled the young girl's thoughts. Was someone in the room with her? It sounded like books were being rearranged. Some plopped on the floor and she jumped up and accidentally rocked the shelf behind her. Usagi squeaked in pain as a random book made a crash landing on her head. She rubbed her head and mumbled curses at the awful thing.

"What's this, anyway?" She spoke to herself as she reached for the tattered book. When she couldn't make out the letters on the cover, she dug around in her pack until she found a tiny book light.

_What?_ She thought. _I can't read this._

At the library the six girls scavenged the entire library for their leader until meeting back at the entryway.

"Are you sure she's here Rei?" Haruka inquired sharply and pinched the bridge of her nose in aggravation. Rei simply nodded.

She has to be. This is the only place we haven't checked!" Haruka sighed and eventually agreed. "Just a minute." Rei turned her back to the girls and closed her eyes. She focused her concentration into her prayer as her hands formed the appropriate symbols. Usagi's aura was spotted and she tracked it to a staircase in a different section of the library. Two vending machines stood next to the staircase. Orange juice had seeped into the cracks of the paneled flooring and cracker crumbs were scattered close by. Rei grunted and folded her arms. _She's definitely been here._

Rei followed the crumbs until they stopped at the base of the corridor staircase. She continued on until she stopped in the dark; a dead end. She reached forward, found the doorknob and slowly eased it open.

"Usagi?" Rei whispered and tried to seek the girl out in the darkness.

"I'm here." A small and feeble voice called out. Rei peaked around until a sharp flash of light temporarily blinded her sight. She rubbed her eyes and then followed the source of the light. She would have yelled at the flake for blinding her, but given the circumstances she held her tongue.

"Usagi, what are you doing here? Everyone's been worried sick about you. Your mother even called the police and…" The young priestess in training trailed off and sank next to her friend.

"I needed some time to myself." Usagi's tone implied that she didn't care. Rei's concern deepened at hearing such a lack of emotion in the usually chipper girl's voice.

"Usagi, what happened?"

"… Certain things." Usagi stated plainly. Rei fought to hold in her patience a little longer.

"What kind of things? I can't see you, give me the flashlight-" As she showered the light over her friend's face her train of thought flew straight out the window. The girl was covered in bruises and crusted over gashes and scrapes. Rei stifled a hysterical reflex long enough to place a comforting hand against Usagi's cheek. "Who…?"

"Mamoru." Again her tone was blank. Mamoru? Usagi never called him Mamoru, unless circumstances left no room for affectionate labels.

"Mamoru-san? Why? What happened?"

"He tried to take the crystal… and then my heart." Rei's hand fell from Usagi's cheek and plopped in her lap. _How can this be?_ She thought. _These two are meant to be together._ After a moment of silence Rei snapped her finger and Usagi jumped.

"He must be under their control!" Usagi went still again. Rei touched the girl's knee. "The heart snatchers, Usagi." She filled in for the girl's lack of feedback. She didn't seem to care much at the moment, or maybe it was just because she was so worn down at the moment that it hadn't registered to her; it wasn't of Mamoru's free will to hurt her.

Rei accepted her silence and leaned forward. "Come on, Usagi. Let's get out of here and take care of those wounds." She slipped her hands under her friend's arms and prepared to help lift her up. Usagi patted the wood floor to find the old book she examined earlier. She took the thing and stuffed it in her pack before getting help to her feet.

"I don't want to go home." She suddenly said, nearly out of breath. Rei nodded thoughtlessly and guided her out of the room.

"You'll stay home with me tonight. Don't worry, Usagi." The princess was greeted by five familiar gawking and bothered faces. She tried a smile, but it was hardly worth the effort. She slipped her arm from over Rei's shoulders and stood on her own. "You got it?" Rei wanted to know. Usagi nodded and made her way down the stairs. Rei followed closely behind.

"See, I'm not as weak as all that." She mused weakly. In that instant her words turned on her and her knees buckled. Haruka rushed forward and caught the princess before she found the floor.

"You have a knack of jinxing yourself." The tall blonde tried a bit of dry humor, but Usagi remained placid and dull. Rei frowned Haruka looked to her with a troubled gaze. "Come now, kitten." Haruka swept the frail princess into her arms bridal style and turned for the door.

* * *

Shin snapped shut in Tomo's folded hand as he looked to his general. 

"What do you think, Nakago?" The handsome blonde dictator bowed his head in silence, clearly thinking. The sight they witnessed was unlike any other! Yui was hardly enthralled.

"Is it real?" Soi wondered, still in awe of the beautiful lights and tall buildings Tomo had displayed through his shell. The priestess of Seiryu nodded.

"It's called Tokyo. It's where I come from." She turned her head to eye her companion. "Nakago?"

"It's a most interesting place, this Tokyo." Nakago finally answered. He returned Yui's gaze with a fetching smile that tied knots in the young girl's stomach. Soi couldn't miss that look in her lord's eyes and tightened clenched fists at her sides, fighting back her jealousy. Suboshi who stood in the background felt much like Soi when seeing Nakago slip his arm around Yui's waist. If looks could kill, the two would have massacred the sickening couple in an instant.

* * *

The priestess of Suzaku and her true love rested beneath the shade of a tall willow. Miaka leaned into Tamahome's embrace. The wind swept by and caressed the endless field of grass surrounding them. Tamahome pecked her forehead and rubbed her arms in a gesture of comfort. 

"We never have much time alone, do we?" Miaka spoke up as another gentle gust of wind swept through the field. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

"No." The seishi agreed. The priestess smiled and sighed contentedly. He watched her and slowly lost himself in his thoughts. "Are you going to be all right, Miaka?" She opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I can only imagine how it must be for you. Your best friend becoming your bitter rival." Miaka frowned. "You seemed so sad today. It broke my heart." She opened her mouth to speak but was hushed by his finger gently placed to her lips. "A lot has happened. It's hard for us all." He looked down at her with sad eyes. "But it must be the hardest on you." Miaka pulled away from his embrace and sat up to give him her pained smile. Tamahome leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on her supple lips.

He took Miaka's face in his hands and smiled. "I promise you Miaka, I will always be here for you. I'll make it right somehow. I'll get Yui back, mark my words. And after I do, I'm going to make you the happiest bride in the world. I love you, Miaka." She tried her best to save face and look happy but that attempt fell through half way through his speech. Her smile shattered and she burst into hysterical sobs.

Tamahome took her in his arms again and cradled her while she cried, stroking her hair and lulling her with words of comfort and love.

* * *

"Is the water hot enough, Usagi?" Rei waited outside the restroom until she was answered. Usagi curled up in the tub. The bath was nice. The hot water, candles and oils made it that much more relaxing. She felt a bit better, being clean and all. The hot water stung her cuts at first and slowly that sensation melted into a sore throb. The pain was almost gone now as her skin colored a light shade of pink from the heat. 

Usagi examined a long gash that ran across her belly and dipped her hand in to touch it. The water rippled and the image of a familiar little girl made her frown.

"Chibi-Usa…" Her eyes stung and the image blurred as they welled a fresh batch of tears.

Minako took a sip of her tea and looked to the rest of her friends. "So, what are we dealing with here?" No one looked at all like they had an answer.

"I can't believe Mamoru-san would do such a thing." Ami muttered, ready for another sip of tea.

"It wasn't Mamoru! I told you the whole story before leaving the library for Christ's sake!" Makoto stroked Rei's back to sooth her. Rei mumbled an apology in return for her friend's gesture.

"Do you honestly think Endymion would go that far?" Makoto looked to Michiru as she spoke. The brunette sighed and shook her head.

"Have you called Usagi's mother at all?" Rei shook her head at the white cat. "When will you?" The feline prompted.

"I don't know yet. She's so bad off. Did you get a good look at her wounds?"

"I did." Haruka chimed in. "He really did some damage. He had to have used a weapon of some kind. I don't think he'd have been able to cut her like that with just his bare hands." The girls nodded silently, chewing over woman's words.

Usagi dried off and combed through wet tangled locks. The mirror above the sink reflected every mark her naked frame kept the past three days. A few cuts had already faded away, but the ones that remained she was sure would leave scars. She frowned and traced one hand across her upper arm. She closed her eyes and the quick snap of black leather reminded her of that day. No, she thought back, replaying and freeze framing her thoughts. Leather straps? No, she thought again. Tresses of black that sprang from his hair… they _were_ his hair. She opened her eyes and stared back into the mirror. That wasn't Mamoru.

Voices silenced as the topic of conversation stepped into the room. Usagi's friends welcomed her with an open spot at the table and hot cup of green tea. She quietly settled herself down between Makoto and Rei.

"Princess?" Michiru asked. Usagi shifted her gaze to the beautiful woman leaning at the edge of the cushioned under the windowsill. "Are you feeling better?" The blonde only nodded. Haruka looked from Usagi to Michiru in hopelessness.

Someone rapped on the delicate sliding door and Rei turned to open it. None other than Chad stood on the other side, goofy smile and all. Rei thinned her lips in annoyance. Chad swooped into a clumsy bow and then handed the raven haired girl a tattered book. She cocked a confused brow at the thing and looked back to Chad for an answer. It took the poor schmuck a moment to realize what she wanted from her stone cold glare. There was an awkward moment of silence before realization struck him.

"Oh! Gramps handed me the book, said Usagi left it in the restroom. I just thought she might have wanted it with her." Nervous laughter spilt from his lips, as he felt a bit more than uncomfortable around his hot headed crush.

"Alright Chad, thank you. You can go now." Her tone was cold as shooed him away with a negligent flick of the wrist. Rei examined the cover of the book before handing it to her friend. "What kind of book is it?" Usagi took it from the priestess in training, shrugging as she too examined it.

"I can't exactly read Chinese." Usagi stated plainly. At hearing this, Ami leaned forward and kindly gestured to take the book. Usagi almost chuckled. Of course Ami would be able to read the book. There was very little the meek and intelligent girl couldn't do. _Genius._ This thought of course was etched with a hint of sarcasm and spite. Usagi envied Ami and always would. So far though, this hadn't motivated her enough to make her steady any harder. _I guess some things are just meant to be a lost cause._ She finished mentally.

"This is ancient China, Usagi-chan." Ami stated as she flipped through the book. "This book is very old. I bet it's worth a lot. Where did you get it?"

"The library."

"But I thought you couldn't check out anymore books until you paid off all your late fees." Minako interjected noting the piles of overdue comics and romance novels that hadn't left her friend's shelf since the day they were rented.

"I didn't rent it." Usagi confirmed as irritation upped her tone a notch.

"You stole it?" Usagi nodded at the black cat's question. Before anyone could ask why, which she very well knew was a question on the tips of their tongues, she blurted out that she didn't know.

"I just, wanted to. For the strangest reason, I felt like I needed to. It just looked so interesting to me." Usagi scanned the room of blank faces.

"It's just a red cover with scribbles you can't even read, Usagi." The fiery princess stated derisively as she raised a suspicious brow.

"I don't know how else to explain it." The frustrated girl said in her own defense as she threw her hands up. Haruka took the book and looked the cover over carefully. She opened the book and furrowed her brows in total confusion. Michiru stepped alongside her partner and shared her confusion as she eyed the pages.

"These pages are blank." Haruka pointed out and tossed the book back into Usagi's lap. The blonde flipped over the cover to reveal the first page and shook her head.

"It's not blank." She argued. The two feline and five younger women gathered around for a peek.

"It is." Artimus said, turning a page with his paw. "They're all blank." Usagi shook her head again. Rei folded her arms in a gesture of thinning patience.

"If you can see what's written down then read it, Odango-tama!" Rei's smart tone hadn't fazed her friend. She was ensconced in what was happening before her eyes. Wet ink suddenly stained the aged parchment, forming old characters and words.

"Ogre." Was the first character that she could discern. Her eyes shot from the book to her friends in even more shock than they were suddenly in. She couldn't read ancient Chinese! How could she possibly read it now? Another character formed in a blank space. "Willow." She continued. Somehow she knew these characters. "Serpent." The next character that stained the page made her hesitate. She opened her mouth to speak and everyone leaned forward in waiting. Her eyes stung with heat and they quickly watered.

"What is it, Usagi? What's wrong?" One of the senshi asked, she didn't know who. Her lips parted once more. On that same page was a character like the others, but she spoke someone's name instead.

"Hojun." She sighed the unfamiliar name. Tears spilled and quickly rolled down her cheeks. She snapped back from her strange stupor as someone touched her shoulder.

"Usagi. Rei's voice was genuinely troubled. For the first time in three days, Usagi smiled. She hugged the book to her chest and a comforting warmth swelled within her. Her eyes closed and her smile faded a bit.

"I think I may be okay after all." She waited for someone's response, but heard nothing. Usagi opened her eyes and jumped to her feet in a panic. She was no longer sitting in a warm room with her friends. She stood on the outskirts of a lowly town. Behind her beheld an endless sea of sand. Her arms automatically folded over her chest in a hopeless attempt for warmth. Immediately Usagi began a short walk toward the small town.


	2. Into the Book

**A/N: Disclaimers and such on the first chapter. Read them, don't sue.**

Homes and small buildings she saw were mostly compiled of stone and clay. The men of the city all wore yukatas, most of them dirty or slightly tattered. The women wore old robes and kept their hair back with scarves knotted beneath the hair, similar to a bonnet. The whole place looked rough.

_Where on earth am I?_ Usagi's thoughts raced everywhere, trying to figure out what had happened. No logical explanation came to mind though.

All at once a number of different delicious aromas wafted her way and had her swaying in seconds. _Food!_ She thought happily. Following the wonderful smell, she eventually found herself in front of a large one-story building. The letters above the open doorway were too crowded for her to read, or perhaps she couldn't read it period. Though she didn't need to be able to read the sign to know what such a place was. Usagi fumbled through the hidden pockets in her pleated blue skirt until she found a little spare change. It wasn't much, but she would at least have enough to buy a roll of warm bread.

Happily she trotted inside and inhaled the scent of every different food the eatery had to offer. She was in heaven. Too bad she only had … She counted her change. Eighty-nine cents. A young woman, younger than her, greeted Usagi at the counter with an odd look.

"May I help you, miss?" The girl asked as politely as she could.

"How much are your rolls of bread over there?" She girl glanced behind her.

"Oh, the stuffed bread?" Usagi licked her lips. "They're twenty cents a piece." Her eyes glittered in utter bliss.

"Wow. I'll take four of them please." She said, striving to keep back the eagerness in her tone. The woman stepped away to grab the four rolls of bread and quickly returned. Usagi inhaled again. "What are they stuffed with?"

"Sweat pork." The girl said as she tried a smile. She then wrapped the warm rolls in a long strip of cloth and pushed them toward Usagi. "Eighty scents, please." Usagi dropped all her change in the girl's hand and nodded at her thankfully. "Wait a minute!" Usagi froze, the first roll already in her mouth. "This isn't real money, are you trying to stiff me?" After swallowing the first bite, she blinked a few times in lost confusion.

"What are you talking about? Of course it's real money. I even gave you nine cents extra!" The girl only folded her arms and scowled at her as if she were scum. Usagi clung to her rolls possessively when the waitress prepared to take them back. A few customers saw what had happened and stood from their seats. At that moment Usagi ran from the building and turned a sharp corner until she found herself in a darkened alleyway.

"What on earth was that all about?" By the time she asked herself that question her first roll had been devoured. She started on her second roll, relishing the taste while she could. The second one was gone and she was nowhere near full, but decided to ration what she had left. She stuffed a sweet pork bread roll in each pocket of her school uniform and wrapped the strap of cloth around her hand, securing the ends into a tight knot.

(-Break-)

"What the hell just happened!" Makoto snatched the old book from the floor and flipped through the blank pages. The women were paralyzed with shock.

"It appears that Usagi was just … sucked into that book." Ami managed to answer.

"Obviously, Sherlock! But, how?" Minako snapped smartly.

"Look!" Makoto shouted, shutting up each girl. Everyone gathered around the book and watched as fresh ink stained the first page. Haruka squinted her eyes to focus better, and was able to make out the words. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off as Rei spoke first.

"The golden haired maiden wandered the darkened alleys of the Konan Empire." Minako slapped her thigh.

"If you could read this to begin with, why didn't you earlier?"

"The pages were blank, like Haruka said." Rei snapped back at the girl. Haruka nodded and followed along, reading silently as Usagi's every action was spilled onto the pages.

"So, our princess is stuck in the book?" Michiru questioned calmly. Haruka quickened her reading until nothing more appeared.

"She's in ancient China. A place called the Konan Empire." Rei's brows furrowed as her eyes darted up and down the pages. She hesitated speaking aloud, but eventually did.

"The lower half of Konan skulked about the dark allies of the city, on the look out for…their prey?" She looked to everyone, puzzled and terrified.

"Rapists, thieves and murderers." Haruka stated as plainly as she could manage, keeping her feelings at bay. Rei slammed the book against the wooden lacquer table and stared at the small sketching of her friend wandering in just such a place.

"Turn around, Usagi!"

(-Break-)

Usagi felt her way down the dark alley. Her hand slid along the stonewall beside her for guidance. She stopped as soon as she felt smooth clothing and warm flesh. She apologized and took her hand away. Squinting in the darkness, she tried to make out who was lurking in the shadows.

"Is someone there?" She heard the body move forward, and instinctively, she moved backward. Ironically she bumped into another person from behind. A deep voice let out a chuckle against her ear that made her skin crawl. She apologized again, and prepared to move. A hand quickly secured around each of her wrists to keep her in place.

"Hey!" Terror quickly sank in and she anxiously struggled against the firm hold that kept her immobile.

"Mmm…she's a feisty one." The man that held her pointed out, nuzzling the nape of her neck with his lips. A second set of hands found their way around Usagi's waist. Panic overwhelmed the girl, and the only thing she could think to do was to shove her foot into the gut of the person in front of her. Quickly her thoughts turned into actions. The force from her kick shoved the man behind her into a nearby wall. His grip broke and she ran free.

Usagi lept from the shadows of the alley and back into the streets of town. She ran as fast as she could. One of the men stood and held a hand over his stomach. After regaining composure he decided to take a shortcut to reach the girl. He wouldn't let a girl as good looking as her go without being spoiled first.

Her running slowed a bit as she glanced behind, seeing no one. She caught her breath and sighed in relief. Usagi realized she was lost and hesitantly turned around to look back at the town. She definitely didn't want to risk going back. She turned back around and eyed the building in front of her.

This building however, was not like all the others. It was very well built. She remembered seeing pictures of Chinese castles and palaces in cultural picture books as she studied this place in front of her. That is exactly how it looked after all. The place was huge. _An ancient Chinese palace._ Usagi's mind echoed in amusement.

"I hope you plan on making up for my stomach ache." Usagi jumped and whirled around at hearing the man's voice in her ear. He stood in front of her, wielding something. He moved his hand slightly and the moon reflected the silver glint of a blade.

Usagi took a step back and screamed for somebody's help. Her attacker leaned toward her and thrust his arm forward, shoving his blade in her gut. Her cry for help died while he jerked the weapon around inside her. "Now we're even, missy." He smirked sadistically, then yanked the knife away.

Usagi fought to keep on her feet and turned quickly. The man scoffed. She tried to run, it hurt immensely but she pushed the pain away from her thoughts.

"Where are you going, love?" He asked sardonically while he calmly walked after her.

"Somebody, help me!" Dizziness set in as her blood loss increased. "Someone…" She mumbled before sinking to her knees in fatigue.

He was gaining on her, keeping his pace slow and calm. Once behind her, he raised the bloodied blade of his weapon and grinned widely. The blade again made it's way into her flesh, settling where her neck met shoulder. The pain didn't set in until he removed the blade. Her right hand covered her stomach, and her left now covered the wound in the nape of her neck on her right side.

Her assailant kept his grin while walking before her field of vision. His lips parted to speak, though nothing came out. His complexion turned pale and he fell motionless to the ground. Usagi's sight faded to black as the silhouette of a man knelt down before her.

(-Break-)

"Oh, I'm still hungry!" Miaka thumped her fists against the dining table as she whined. Most of the people at the table ignored her.

"Quit your whining! The chefs can only cook so fast." Nuriko took a sip of tea and glanced at the hurt looking girl. "Pig." He mumbled in between drinks. Hotohori finished his plate of breakfast and looked to Mitsukake.

"How is she doing?" He asked politely after dabbing his mouth with a napkin.

"She's doing all right now. The stab wounds were deep, but I was able to heal her in time." Mitsukake then looked to Chichiri who was still caught up in chewing the first few bites of his meal. "Lucky for her Chichiri found her before that peasant could finish her off." Chichiri nodded in agreement. A servant of the palace approached the table with another serving of rice, fried noodles, dumplings and sweet pork.

"Oh, oh! Me first, me first!" Miaka bounced happily in her seat as the food was set on the table. Tamahome shook his head and sighed hopelessly. Before anyone else could have their second serving, Miaka had her plate filled with each of the four foods.

"I guess nothing comes in the way of Miaka and her stomach." He thought aloud. Sounds of agreement resounded all around the table. "Is Tasuki still in bed?" Chiriko nodded and looked to Tamahome.

"He's still sleeping off all that sake he had last night." Tamahome laughed and shook his head.

"He downed three bottles." Nuriko added.

"Good ol' Tasuki." Tamahome's smile disappeared when he found his plate to be empty. "What the…" He looked to Miaka who seemed all too innocent, and full. "Did you eat my plate, Miaka?" Immediately the girl shook her head in denial. Though the others at the table told him otherwise.

(-Break-)

Usagi opened her eyes slowly, her vision still a little blurred. Someone was looking down on her. Once her sight cleared she saw the man clearly. He had light blue hair, and an oddly fake looking smile. Thoughtlessly she reached to touch his face. He kept silent as her fingers stroked his cheek. She should have figured it was a mask he was wearing. She was disappointed that his eyes were hidden, she wanted to see them.

"Feeling better?" He finally spoke as she examined the rest of his features. She only nodded. Her hand felt for her wounds. She couldn't find them. "My friend is a healer, ya' know." The man added. "Your wounds are gone."

Usagi did her best to sit up in the bed, she was still very weak. Her hair had been let down when the women of the palace took care of her attire. She wore plain white pajamas. Sitting up turned out to be a harder task to perform than she'd imagined, she simply couldn't do it.

The nameless man pitied the girl as he watched her. After her second try he leaned forward and slipped his left hand behind her neck. With his right, he stood and reached for her side. Gently he lifted her into a sitting position. He loosened his grip to let go, but Usagi clung to the sleeve of his shirt, afraid she would fall back down.

Standing to hold this position would be awkward, he thought. Then again, sitting next to the strange girl and cradling her would be as well. It didn't take long to make his decision, though. He simply chose the least uncomfortable option and sat on the edge of the bed, the girl leaning against him for support.

"Where am I?" She whispered, too exhausted to speak.

"You're in Emperor Hotohori's palace." He answered simply.

"Where is that?"

"In the Konan Empire."

"And that is…?" Chichiri fought a chuckle.

"China, ya' know." Usagi nodded. Her grip on the cloth of his shirt tightened as realization hit her. _That book!_ She bit her lip as she thought. _Could it have…? But, I don't remember being taken into the book._ She discarded these thoughts almost instantly, not wanting the think anymore about it.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking up at his masked face.

"I'm Chichiri, ya' know. One of the Suzaku Seishi."

"I'm Usagi Tsukino." She kept her eyes on him and decided he had a friendly face.

"So, uh." Chichiri tried to think of something to say. "How did you…?" All too quickly she knew what he was asking and almost smiled at his hesitation.

"I got lost. I've never been here before. I didn't know…" He nodded before she finished. Usagi realized what she was wearing and quickly slapped a hand over her chest in panic.

"What's wrong?" Chichiri asked, he stood abruptly when she threw the covers off of herself.

"My locket! Where is it?" She turned around and lifted the pillow.

"Wait." Usagi managed to stay sitting up as Chichiri walked to the end of the room and picked up a pair of folded cloths. "Here are your things." She snatched the uniform from his hands, unfolding her shirt. She quickly calmed when she spotted her locket hanging from the knot of her bow. Chichiri slightly sweat dropped, noting the mess she made looking for whatever it was she was missing. "Is everything all right now?" Usagi sighed and nodded.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you if I did." Chichiri's usual smile reappeared as he waved it off.

"It's all right, ya' know."

"Oh!" Chichiri jumped. Usagi reached into the pockets of her skirt, remembering the stuffed bread. She pulled a roll out and frowned as it crumbled in her hands. Pieces of the meat were covered in lint and clearly weren't edible. Chichiri laughed at the girl's loss.

"Don't worry, ya' know. I can go get you something to eat if you like." The girl smiled brightly and thanked him profoundly before he left the room.

Usagi finished the last of her food and dropped the chopsticks back into her empty bowl.

"It feels so strange having something in my stomach." Chichiri quirked his brow at this. "Just, I haven't been eating properly lately. I kind of got used to feeling hungry." He gave a meloncholy smile and took her tray, placing it on a nearby dresser.

"I notice that you eat very neatly." Chichiri pointed out, striking up small talk once again.

"It's not me." Usagi argued as she gathered her legs in her arms to rest her chin on her knees. "I've always been a pig. Nothing ever came between me and my stomach." She had to laugh at this. The monk grinned as well.

(leave off)"I have a friend like that, ya' know." Usagi nodded in acknowledgment and pressed her lips to one knee. Chichiri again found himself thinking of what to say as an uncomfortable silence fell upon the couple. The girl hardly seemed like she cared whether he spoke or not.

"Would you like to have a look around? Maybe meet his highness and the others?" Usagi sweat dropped slightly at this, knots forming in the pit of her stomach.

"Royalty?" She asked, her voice sinking. Chichiri laughed.

"Come on. He's not all that bad, ya' know." Reluctantly Usagi nodded. He smiled and stood from his seat. "Let's go then."

"I _still_ have a head ache!" Tasuki whined as he held his head in pain. "Mitsukake! Your damn medicine doesn't work!" In a fuss the red headed mountain bandit threw the healer's serum across the room. Mitsukake sighed and shook his head. Nuriko chuckled and looked to Hotohori who'd hidden his face behind his hand to ignore his hung over friend.

"What would we do without this guy?" Nuriko's smile wouldn't decrease as he waited for his highness's reply.

"We'd probably all be sane." Chiriko answered for the emperor, not bothering to look at either of them as he scratched away at parchment.

"God forbid." Tamahome finished as Tasuki continued his bothersome grievances. Miaka sat next to Tamahome on the steps to the throne reading a comic book she brought with her from Tokyo.

A thump echoed outside the doors of the throne room. Chichiri's troubled voice followed afterward. The double doors slowly opened and a couple entered the room.

The young woman Chichiri rescued from the night before leaned against the monk's side. She gripped the cloth of his tunic to keep balance. She felt herself blush as she realized how foolish she must have looked. She couldn't even walk on her own. Three days of depression and no food really did her in. And the night before … She shook her head, deciding not to think about it.

Hotohori stood and greeted the girl with a smile. Chichiri stopped and she let go of his shirt. She returned his smile with her flustered one.

"Good afternoon. Are you feeling better?" Usagi nodded vaguely.

"I'm still a little weak, but I'm fine." Her words were quiet, almost a whisper.

"I am Hotohori, Emperor of the Konan Empire, as I'm sure Chichiri has informed you." Usagi bowed her head sluggishly.

"It's an honor to meet you, your highness." She hoped silently that her words were chosen correctly. "My name is Usagi Tsukino. Just an every day girl from Tokyo, Japan." Miaka looked to Tamahome as she heard the girl's words. She leaned over to him to whisper in his ear.

"Tamahome, do you think it's possible that she could have been taken into the book?" At this, he looked confused.

"Didn't your brother have the book, though?" Miaka nodded. She took a moment to think of how the book could have possibly gotten out of Kesuke's hands. She couldn't find an answer. She looked as though her head would explode at any moment. Tamahome placed his hands on her shoulders to calm her. "Don't worry, Miaka!" He whispered nervously. "We'll figure it out later. Don't hurt yourself." Miaka glared at her love but he was obviously distracted once the Emperor called his name.

"This is Tamahome, one of the seven seishi of Suzaku." Tamahome stood to slightly bow to the girl in a polite greeting, she returned the bow and then he took his seat. The rest of the seishi were soon introduced.

Afterward, Usagi finally came out and asked about Suzaku. Hotohori divulged the entire story, from the very first girl who became a Priestess of the four gods, to Miaka, who had long ago become the Priestess of their god, Suzaku. She found out about Miaka's friend Yui, and the story of the Seiryu seishi. Finally she learned about the old book. According to Hotohori, it was called the Shi Jin Tenchi Sho, which translated into The Book of The Four Gods.

It was all a lot to take in. Usagi now sat on the carpeted staircase with Tamahome and Miaka, listening to the Emperor as he spoke. Once he finished he offered to take her to Suzaku's shrine to see the great golden statue of the phoenix, but Usagi declined, still a bit tired from the previous week's events.

A crash echoed throughout the palace walls followed by the screams of servants.

"What on earth is going on?" Hotohori stood from his seat and prepared to investigate.

"Your highness, stay back." Nuriko warned while the rest of the seishi gathered around the large doors. "We'll handle this. Take Miaka and Usagi and find shelter, quickly!" Hotohori nodded and took both girls by the hand before heading to a safer area of the palace. Usagi struggled against the Emperor's grasp and yanked free.

"What are you doing, Usagi? You'll be killed, let the seishi handle this!" She looked to Hotohori sternly.

"Why aren't you helping, sire?" Hotohori returned Usagi's stern look with one of his own.

"I would if I could, Usagi. But I am the Emperor; I cannot afford to risk my life. I have no one in line to be heir."

"You're a Suzaku seishi too, are you not?" Hotohori opened his mouth to protest, but the girl emerged from the dark room they found to hide in. Usagi snatched her locket from the pocket of her pajama pants and called out the words to activate the crystal. She waited a moment, and when nothing happened she opened her compacter and stared at the dull jewel. Its soft pink glow had dissipated entirely.

"What? Moon Cosmic Power, Make up! Make up!" The jewel flickered weakly and quickly died back down. Usagi cursed to herself and quickly made her way out of the thrown room.

A young woman in a white fuku with pale skin wrestled with the strongest seishi. Her eyes were a pale blue, and her hair was as white as her clothing. Usagi tightened her grip around her locket and mentally prayed she could in some way help.

"Watch out!" Someone shouted as a body was flung her way. Before Usagi could even think, Tamahome's body crashed into hers. Usagi hit the ground with an audible thud, losing her breath instantly.

"Now I know what a lung collapse feels like." She groaned while trying to carefully remove the man from atop her. Once she did she turned him over on his back and checked his pulse. After she made sure he would be all right, she carefully dragged him across the wooden floor and into the throne room to safety.

Quickly she made her way back into the other room and cautiously closer to her enemy.

"Rekka Shien!" Tasuki shouted. An explosion of fire erupted from the iron fan he held in both hands. The pale woman only scoffed at this and held her hand out defensively. As fire roared toward her, she quickly snapped her fingers. The stream of flames froze instantly and fell to the ground.

"My turn!" She shouted deviously with a confident smirk. She charged at Tasuki and thrust her fist against his jaw. He let his guard down, and a second later his weapon was stolen. She raised the fan in the air and swung at him, the sharp tips of his fan grazing his abdomen. She chuckled while watching the blood dribble from his wound and threw her arm back once more. Tasuki starred down her arm, anticipating her next strike. The girl licked her lips and smirked. She quickly reached her hand around the back of his neck and shoved him down as she thrust her knee up. Usagi cringed as she heard the greasy popping sound of a broken bone. He quickly fell to the ground, down for the count.

"Hold it!" Usagi shouted with a bit of uncertainty. The woman halted to stare at the blonde girl. "Leave them alone Nega-scum!" The woman looked unphased by her less than threatening words. "If you want a pure heart, take mine!" The woman smiled at this. She approached the girl and loomed over her. The other four seishi cried for Usagi to move. When she didn't they ran to her aid, but were quickly frozen in place when the woman snapped her fingers another time.

"Let's see if your heart is truly pure." Her pale hand quickly found Usagi's throat and effortlessly lifted her from her feet. Her free hand swiftly pierced her chest and Usagi screamed at the top of her lungs. Just as before, darkness formed on her chest, shaping a circle around her assailant's arm.

Usagi struggled to get down but the woman easily tightened her grip around her neck. She coughed weakly and dug her nails into the woman's wrist.

"Usagi-chan!" Miaka emerged from the throne room and blindly charged at the pale woman to tackle her.

"Back off, runt." An invisible shield was formed the moment she spoke and Miaka was thrown to the floor. Usagi looked to Miaka as she jumped back to her feet and screamed for the scandalous woman to cease. She closed her eyes and waited for the man who'd rescued her before to appear in her thoughts. The woman grinned as she found what she was looking for and clenched it. Usagi screamed once again and jerked as her body went into immediate shock.

_This is it,_ she thought, _I'm … going to die … for real … this … time._ A sudden flash of silver pierced her vision and the woman fell on her backside, armless. Usagi collapsed to the floor, but remained in shock. Hotohori stood over the screaming woman and swiftly ran her through with his sword.

"Usagi." Hotohori knelt before her and carefully pulled the woman's limb from her chest. She gasped for air just as life began to flow back into her system. The second arm lay limply beside her and she nearly shrieked when she noticed it. "Are you all right, Usagi?" Hotohori questioned worriedly as he slowly helped her to her feet.

"I'm fine." She lied. Her neck and chest hurt horribly, and her legs were incredibly weak. "Are Tasuki and Tamahome all right?" The Emperor nodded.

"Mitsukake will heal Tasuki's wounds, as well as Tamahome's. They will be fine."

"Good."

"Who on earth was she?" Chiriko asked as he approached the couple.

"She was a heart snatcher."

"Heart snatcher?" Nuriko joined the conversation. Usagi nodded.

"They're from my time. I'm sorry for troubling you all, I have no idea how they could have gotten here." Hotohori shook his head to stop her.

"It's all right. We're all still alive." Usagi tried to chuckle, but ended up simply sighing in grief. She slowly walked past the three and made her way toward Tasuki, Mitsukake and Chichiri.

"Are you all okay?" She particularly eyed Tasuki, who was fine now, but was still a bloody mess. The monk and healer nodded for themselves and Tasuki.

"Speak for yourself, the bitch broke my nose!" He growled while stroking the bridge of his nose with one finger. Usagi smiled, he looked so silly doing that, she thought.

"Is it broken anymore?" Mitsukake questioned mockingly. Tasuki childishly flipped his mouthy friend the finger. He simply rolled his eyes and made his way to Tamahome who'd just come to his senses.

"It didn't work…" Usagi mumbled as she examined the now worthless locket in her hand. Chichiri watched the girl as her expression suddenly became lost. She turned her back to everyone and headed for the closest exit.

(-Break-)

"Usagi's powers don't work?" Rei asked aloud in disbelief. "How can that be?" Haruka rubbed her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock on Rei's nightstand. It was late, and she was tired. The younger girls had already gone home; lucky for them they had an excuse to run off to bed.

"Perhaps because we're not there with her?" Michiru suggested. Rei took a sip of coffee and after a moment of thought shook her head.

"I don't think that's it. She's been able to transform and fight without us on a number of occasions." Haruka reached for the book.

"May I?" Rei nodded and handed the book over. Haruka read on as she watched the story unfold.

"The golden haired maiden walked to the lake to gather her thoughts, unaware that she had company approaching from behind."

(-Break-)

Usagi sighed in exhaustion and dipped her bare feet into the cool water of the lake. Things were already confusing enough, the last thing she needed was to find that she couldn't transform. She put those thoughts on hold for the moment while she let down her hair. It tumbled down her back and cascaded across the carpet of grass beneath her.

Chichiri invited himself to sit down next to her. She looked at the monk and decided to try a smile. He nodded in acknowledgment. At least she was trying.

Usagi was getting worse at putting on a happy face more and more. _When did it start, anyway?_ She questioned mentally. _Oh yes … that day._

"What's that for?" The girl was pulled away from her thoughts with the sound of the monk's voice.

"What's what for?" She scanned the area to see what he was looking at.

"That, ya' know." He pointed at the locket that hung from her bow.

"Oh, that." She sounded bored already. "It's just … a locket." She said matter-of-factly and then shrugged. Chichiri hesitated, but eventually nodded, not really knowing what else to say.

"It must be important." A silence filled their conversation for nearly a full minute.

"… It is." She looked sad again. He sighed inwardly and tried to think of something better to talk about. He couldn't.

(-Break-)

"Mamoru-san!" Minako pounded on Mamoru's apartment door as the rest of the senshi waited behind her.

Haruka checked her watch and sighed in aggravation at their effortless attempt of finding the prince. She placed a hand on Venus's shoulder to stop her.

"He's obviously not here, Minako." The young blonde shook her head in protest.

"Or he just isn't answering the _door_!" She pounded a final time on the wood of the entrance, emphasizing the word door. Haruka folded her arms and grinned.

"Then lets try this another way." The woman took Minako's place at the door, and with one fluent movement, kicked open the entrance way. Minako pouted.

"I could have done that." Makoto scoffed at Minako's remark.

"You can't even beat me in a wrestling match. What makes you think you can kick open a door?" The two began to argue, but only until Rei shouted for the two of them to pipe down.

Rei stepped inside first and stopped at the foot of Mamoru's bed. Her warm breath collided with the frigid air inside the apartment and turned to fog.

"It's freezing in here." Ami stroked her arms for warmth while they all looked for sign's of Mamoru's presents.

"I don't see him anywhere…" Makoto mumbled while darting her eyes here and there. Michiru eyed a dark corner of the room. It was so dark…

"Well, the lights don't work." Minako flipped the switch up and down a few times in vain. Mirhiru was completely drawn into what she was eying. She was frozen in her place staring.

"What is it?" Haruka joined her partner in staring at the darkened corner. She waited for the woman to respond. It took a moment.

"Something…" Soon the rest of the girls joined the couple. Everyone fell silent. Michiru took a step closer and cautiously reached forward. Everyone tensed up and held their breath.

Suddenly it moved, as if rippling from her touch. This of course sent Michiru into the arms of her love. The shadow stilled for a moment. Once everyone was calm again, it moved a second time, which had everyone jumping.

Ami was called forward to inspect it further. She sighed slightly and balled her hands into fists. Michiru and Haruka stepped back to give their friend some room. There was a drawn out period of silence as she clicked away at her mini computer. Once satisfied, she turned her head to inform the rest of her hypothesis.

"It's …" Long leather-like straps shot out from the corner and snugly bound Ami's neck. She dropped her computer and gagged, tearing at the straps. Pieces of it was successfully torn and fluttered to the floor.

The rest of the girls on instinct transformed and went for the shadow in the corner. Each of their attacks was useless, as the darkness absorbed each one .

Ami continued to tear at the retched thing, fighting for at least a tiny gasp of air.

Uranus quickly drew out her sword and swiped the long strap with a sharp blade of energy. The ends singed and the smell of burnt feathers filled the area.

Ami fell to her knees and sucked up the oxygen as if it could be her last breath. Jupiter knelt before her friend and placed a hand over her shoulder.

"Are you all right, Ami?" She nodded, not wanting to speak for fear of choking. Mars sniffed the air with a confused look on her face.

"Does anyone else smell that?" The others nodded, without dividing their attention to sniffing. The shadow shrank as light seeped through the blinds of the window. Neptune made her way to the window and threw open the shades. Light spilled into the room and it looked like a normal apartment once again.

"Ami, your hands." Jupiter pointed to the girl's open palms. They were covered in long black strands of hair. She didn't look too surprised. What she tore at felt like hair when she fought for oxygen. "The floor's covered in it."

"That explains the smell." Uranus thought aloud. "My sword burnt those strands of hair." Venus blinked a few times.

"That was hair?"

"Obviously, the proof is all over the floor." Mars pointed out. Venus rolled her eyes.

"I know _that._ But, it just didn't look like hair. Did it to any of you?" She looked around the room at each of her friends as they simply stood there. "I didn't think so."

Mars pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on. She was already tired of this mess. "This is getting to be too confusing for me."

"It's about to become even more confusing." Ami added. "It's not of this time."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I don't own these animes or characters, suing me will only result as a waste of your time and mine.**

"Mamo-chan … Come out of the shadows. I want to see you." The tall dark haired man stepped from his shadowy corner and greeted his love with a comforting hug. A single tear fell from her cheek and dangled at her chin. Mamoru wiped it away while wearing a melancholy smile.

"I'd never hurt you, Buns." His hand cascaded down the girl's side and rested at her hip.

_Buns…_ She thought. _He hasn't called me Buns in so long…_ Another tear formed, and as soon as it fell it was swiped away by her love's gentle hand. "Don't leave me…Mamo-chan, don't. I need you." He chuckled softly and kissed her gently. His lips were so soft…

"I'm not leaving you, Usako." She looked in his eyes. There was no hint of deception in them. He looked so caring, so full of love… for her.

_That's right._ Her thoughts ran off again. _He's not going to leave me. He would never hurt me. Mamo-chan…_

"But you're not here!" She stepped away from him with balled hands resting at her sides. "You said you'd never leave me! You said you'd never hurt me!" Usagi couldn't see anything; her eyes were overflowing with tears.

"Usako, please." He stepped forward, ready to cry himself; it was evident in his voice.

"Stop it! Just stop it! Can't you see what you're doing to me?" She demanded hysterically. He was crying. She'd seen Mamoru cry only a few times before. "I miss…I miss…" Before she was able to finish, her love scooped her up in his arms, holding her safely.

"I'm here. Just search your heart, Usako. I'll always be here for you. Remember your ring…" He paused to cry silently a moment. "I made you a promise. Have faith. Believe in me… I love you." Usagi held onto him as tightly as she could. She didn't ever want to let him go.

Mamoru's voice was dying. She could still feel him, but she didn't want him to stop talking. "Mamo-chan?" She questioned groggily. She was welcomed only by darkness. The pillow she clung to was now squished in the middle. Usagi frowned and tossed the wretched thing across the room.

She bit her lip to stifle her anger and sat up to beat on the pillows below her. She pounded them uncontrollably as streamers of warm liquid spilled from her eyes. She was irate. Usagi beat and punched her fluffy targets until she finally cried out, wailing in angry sorrow.

(-Break-)

Tomo grinned and snapped his trinket shell shut. These young girls were a lot of fun to play with. Nakago knew nothing of the little games his servent would play while he dwelled alone on his own, and that's the way he liked it.

"What are you going to do now? Will you betray your leader simply to have your way with them?" Tomo scoffed at the young man's questioning.

"Why, no my dear boy. Are you mad?" He sauntered over to his caged prey and leaned against the bars that held him. "Women are not in my vocabulary when it comes to pleasure. I am quite loyal to Nakago, for plenty of reasons. Though, right now he seems much more absorbed in that little girl's interests. No matter. You, my boy, will keep me entertained until my lord comes around, or until I tire of you." Tomo grinned lustfully as he raised Mamoru's chin with a delicately pampered, long and sharp polished fingernail.

(-Break-)

Usagi trudged down a long hall of the palace, leaning against the wall lazily the entire time. She looked so lost, so empty. She moved slugishly while she thought deeply about the past.

_Mamoru..._ she wondered. Maybe things weren't as they seemed. Maybe Rei was right in thinking that he was under someone's control. Come to think of it, even on his worst day, when Mamoru was just Mamoru, he hadn't even come close to hitting her. She sometimes wondered though, about how much he really did care. There were times she really did think about it. In the way he acted, sometimes he never really seemed as in love as they were meant to be.

_But back then... that wasn't me back then. Selenity, yes. Not Usagi, not... Mamoru. How in love were they? I... she killed herself because of the loss of her love. Her mother so loved her daughter, that she gave up everything she had left, her very life force, to bring her daughter and her people back. What was the result of this though? I don't seem anything like Selenity. I'm not Selenity. And Mamoru isn't Endymion. If we're supposed to be who we were, but we aren't... are we still meant for one another?_

_Mamoru used to hate me in the beginning. I wonder if Endymion hated Selenity._ Usagi sighed, still slowly dragging herself along the wall. _I'm supposed to be the princess... the outer senshi even address me as such, but am I really? Did something go wrong when mother, Queen Serenity tried to bring her back?_

It was a beauitiful day, and the sun drizzled it's brilliant rays into parts of the great hallway. She dressed differently today, she wore a knee-length pale green skirt that had a foreign tongue stitched in gold all around the bottom fringe. On top she wore a simple white tank top that covered her modestly, but kept her cool all the same. The attire was simple, yet there was something different about her. Was it because her hair was down instead of up? Or perhaps because she decidedly to go barefoot? She looked like she had too much on her mind, that much she knew.

Usagi stopped at a warm ray of light that hit her just so. In the sun, her hair was golden, and her eyes were cobalt. She inhaled and watched little speckles in the atmosphere dance in front of her. Maybe fresh air would help.

The lake was where she decided to settle once again. She liked it here. The grass was green, the water was clear and cold, and the willow, it perhaps was her favorite. Usagi sat at the trunk, letting its curtain of branch and leaf hide her from her troubles. The sound of the water soothed her, and she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"You really shouldn't wander off on your own, ya' know." Usagi jumped at the monk's voice and looked to him with a hand over her chest.

"Chichiri..." She breathed, her heart still thumping. He grinned.

"I didn't mean to scare you, ya' know." She shook her head at this and patted the earth next to her. Chichiri took a seat next to her and looked up at the willow's branches. "I love this tree." He mumbled to himself. Usagi nodded.

"I've come to like it, too." They both sat for a moment in silence. Not as awkward as whence they first met, but still just a bit.

"So, what are you doing out here alone?" The monk looked to her with genuin curiousity. Usagi shrugged.

"Just thinking. Besides, it's a beauitiful day. You make me sound so helpless." She said this with a bit of a teasing grin. He chuckled at this.

"Are you?" The girl's grin slowly faded as she thought about this, and then she bowed her head to pick at the grass beneath her.

"I suppose I am, now." There was another pause, and Chichiri watched her pluck several blades one at a time from the ground. Even though she tore the vegitation to shreds, she seemed to have such a delicate way of doing so. She seemed well manored.

"Do you like to fish?" Usagi looked to Chichiri with a bit of a lost look.

"Fish?" He nodded. "I don't think I've ever gone fishing before." She mused aloud while looking to the lake. The man stood and offered her his hand.

"Come on,then." She looked up at him and dropped her shredded handful of grass to take his hand.

An hour later Usagi poked at the flames of a small fire as lunch cooked on a makeshift spit. Chichiri sat cross legged as he watched her play at fire.

"I wish I had some marshmellows to roast..." she said to herself. The monk quirked a brow.

"Marshmellows?" Usagi tore her eyes from the flames to look at him. She nodded with a smile, forgetting where she was.

"They're very good. White, fluffy, sugary treats. They're great for roasting at a camp fire." He was smiling. Her voice was lilting, and she spoke softly. He enjoyed listening to her. When she stopped, he bit his lip and looked to their food.

"I think they're about done."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: If I created either of these animes, I don't think I'd be writing fanfiction about them.**

Rei sighed as she brushed her bangs out of her eyes. She stood from her seat, book in hand and shlumped over to her bed, falling back onto the bed with a bounce or two. Rei found her spot and flipped the page.

_So, she's having a good time. At least she's not in trouble... but how do we get her back?_

The girls had taken turns with the book on different days. Each one tried to keep track of what was going on in that world, making sure their princess was alright. So far though, no one could figure out how they'd get her back. Not all the girls could read the book, though. So far the only ones who could were Rei, Haruka, Ami and Michiru. She read on for a moment and paused, an idea surfacing as she bit her lip. _Wait a minute..._ She slammed the book shut and sat up with haste. _What about Setsuna?_

(-Break-)

Had it really been ten days? Usagi spent most of her time with Chichiri, but slowly came out of her shell and got to know the rest of the seishi as well. A select few in the group reminded her of her friends back home. Chiriko reminded her of Ami, his nose always in a book, with that quiet meek kind of mentality, and Tasuki... Usagi chuckled at the thought of him. He was such a loudmouth. Always so impolite, barking at people left and right. With the exception of his obsessive drinking, he made her think fondly of Rei, thus she clicked with him instantly. They were all wonderful in their own way, and she grew fond of each one of them.

Chichiri and Tasuki became her closest during these past short days. Chichiri though, he was close to her in a different way. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. He was much deeper and more empathetic than any of them, at least with her. She held a fondness for him that was a bit stronger than what she held for Rei, though she wouldn't dare tell the poor girl. Sure she was a hot tempered, impatient, loudmouth priestess who never gave Usagi a moment to defend herself in any situation, but when it truly counted, she was always there by her side. As were the rest of her loyal friends and guardians.

"Usagi!" Tasuki crept up behind her and slapped her on the shoulder. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest, though he wouldn't give her enough time to calm it down. "You've got to try this stuff before it dissapears. I made the mistake of letting Miaka have the first taste and now I've trying to avoid her." Usagi rolled her eyes with a grin and reached in the basket he now held before her. She popped one in her mouth and chewed for a moment before swooning in delight. Her eyes sparkled and she reached back into the basket and took the biggest handful she could manage. Tasuki groaned. "Hey, not you too, share woman! I've never seen you choke down so much food at once before." She only winked at him with a mouthful.

"This is the best gyoza I've ever had." She finally managed in between bites. She took another handful.

"Hey!" Tasuki slapped her hand.

(-Break-)

"Looks like she's getting better." Rei sighed and put the book away.

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Rei-chan. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't get back that air headed bottomless pit." Minako stated with a smile.

"God forbid." Rei mumbled under her breath. She was glad for her friend as well, though she'd never admit to it.

"So, how are we going to get there without Chibi-Usa's help?" Rei shrugged at Makoto's question.

"I was thinking that Haruka and Michiru could help. They seem to have their ways."

"Good idea, Rei." Makoto replied. "What's the game plan once we get there, though?"

"We tell her what's happened and see if there's any way of getting back there without any penalties." She returned.

"You know," Ami came in without even prying her eyes from her novel. "Chances are that Setsuna already knows that Usagi is missing from this era. She _is_ the guardian of time, after all. And what with Usagi being sucked into a fictional book about the past, rather than the actual past, I don't think there's anything she can do."

There was a long pause as everyone chewed over the genius's words. "I hate you, Ami." Was all Rei could manage. The blue-haired girl smiled back sarcastically, and then went back to her book.

"Okay, new game plan!" Minako slapped the coffee table with a coach-like attitude.

**A/N: I'm sorry everyone for updating so little at a time, but it's better than not at all, ne? College is quite draining at the moment o.- and it's all that's taking up my time (imagine that). I know these paragraphs keep getting shorter, but I'll make it up to you all (for those of you who actually read this crap)! Thanks for reading my darlings!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** **The disclaimer for this story is on the first page. So, bleh. No sue me!**

The next day the senshi settled in the park to think. It was a beautiful warm day and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Makoto, Ami and the cats took shelter under the shade of a large tree, while the others all sprawled out on the grass, staring up at the bright blue sky.

"I still haven't figured out a way to get into this stupid book." Michiru looked over the book as she sat on the jungle gym beside her love. After flipping through another page that was only half full, she sighed lightly and closed the book. Haruka gingerly took the object from Michiru as she planted a small kiss on the woman's cheek.

"Have you noticed something about the time differences here and in the book?" The blonde woman inquired. Rei nodded as Haruka tossed the book back at her.

"She's only been in the book since last night, and three weeks have already passed by in this book." Rei turned over in the grass to lay on her stomach. She propped herself up on her elbows and let her feet kick in the air behind her. She opened the book once again and read the new words appearing on the page.

As she silently read on, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Haruka cocked a brow as she watched the girl. The inner senshi hadn't payed attention to Rei, they were still staring off into nothingness, feeling lazy from the day's heat.

"Mamoru?" Rei questioned in astonished disbelief. Haruka hopped from her place on the plaything, as did Michiru and made their way over to look over the girl's shoulder. The others all looked to her at hearing her outburst.

"Mamoru-san?" Minako questioned. "He's been gone forever. Ever since that episode at his place, I've been wondering about him."

"Endymion would never hurt our princess." Michiru replied calmly as she looked to the inner senshi of love.

"Why is he in the book?" Rei demanded, slapping the picture of the man. "How did he get into the damn book?" Ami's brows furrowed at her ill tempered friend and she pat her should to calm her.

Usagi couldn't sleep. She left the bedroom door open to feel the night breeze, it was so relaxing, but her mind just wouldn't let her rest. She stood from her resting place and stretched with a restless yawn. She wore a long white satin gown that was nice for relaxing in, but otherwise revealed just a bit too much in her own opinion. The sides of the gown were separated all the way to her under arms, and were kept together only by a Chinese style buckle at each side. Her sleeves were long and belled out at the wrist, more skin being exposed like the same separation as the lower part of the gown, the buckles hooked at her shoulders elbows, keeping the gown intact, but making it incredibly easy to show off a bit too much if not careful.

The wind swept past her doorway and caressed her gently, inviting her to step outside. She did so and leaned against the banister that traveled all throughout the outside walkway of the palace. It was a nice warm night, the weather was perfect, and the stars were brighter than she'd ever seen them before.

Her hair was let down, as it usually was at bedtime. She started to grow a bit fond of her hair being unbound, she didn't know why, though. She hadn't known why she kept her hair in odangos all the time. No one else had anything like it, except for Miaka, who only came close. Her real mother wore the same hairstyle, was it Lunarian?

Usagi made way to her favorite spot, as she did every time she wanted a little serenity. She hitched up her skirt a little, not needing to much for the skirt wasn't a whole. After doing so she sat and dipped one foot into the lake while her other leg curled to meet her chest. Her entire leg up to her hip was nothing but naked flesh, she disregarded this and rested her chin to her knee, reveling in the beauty of the night.

"Usako." Usagi froze, eyes wide, heart pounding. Was it him? Should she look? Or was she having another dream? Usagi slowly turned her head. She couldn't make out who it was right away, he was standing behind the curtain of willow leaves. The girl stood, and slowly made her way toward him. She bit her lip before going under the tree, preparing herself for disappointment. She parted the tree's curtain and her heart stopped as Mamoru Chiba stood before her. The girl could hardly breathe. Was this really happening?

"Mamo-chan?" She questioned, her eyes already leaking as her emotions overflowed. He smiled softly at her, and nodded. Usagi cried out as she couldn't hold in her mixture of happiness and grief. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms about his neck. He held her, hands resting at her waist. She had so many questions, she didn't know where to start.

"Mamo-chan, how are you here? What happened that night? How could you have done such a thing? Was it you? It wasn't, was it? What's going on?" Mamoru chuckled at her tirade and silenced her with his lips against hers. Her eyes closed as she found herself letting go of her anguish. Questions could wait, she was simply happy he was there.

Mamoru deepened their kiss and she complied. His tongue played against hers while his hand moved up her back, causing her to shiver. Blood rushed through her face and her cheeks colored a brilliant red. She'd forgotten what this felt like, her heart was beating so fast. Usagi broke the kiss to catch her breath, Mamoru didn't need to though. His lips attacked her neck in tender kisses; Usagi exhaled.

"I missed you, Buns." He breathed against her, sounding that dangerously flirtatious tone he used when his intentions were more than friendly. She grew weak in the knees, and slowly she sank to the grassy floor beneath her. Mamoru followed her actions without taking his attention away from her neck. Once they sat though, his lips moved and once again had the girl shivering. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to come out of her amorous state.

"Mamo-chan." She giggled, trying to get his attention. He paused to look up at her, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Can't we talk? Things have been so confusing. What's happened to you? I know that couldn't have been you all those weeks back." She paused a moment, looking a bit troubled. "Have you even been looking for me?" The corner of his mouth quirked into a half smile.

"Would I be here if I wasn't?" Usagi stage laughed, her brows furrowed in hurt. That wasn't what she meant. Sarcasm didn't help much, either. Not when she was trying to be serious. He went back to kissing at her chest.

"Mamo-chan, stop. Please." She placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to gingerly pushed him back. He didn't budge, and she bit her lip in a bit of agitation. His grip on her tightened, and her inner voice screamed for him to let go. "Mamoru." Usagi said sternly. She hardly used his proper name, and when she did so, this meant all joking was to be rid of.

"What?" He shouted as he looked back up at her. Her eyes widened at this and she looked stunned. The girl shook her head, and at this he grinned.

"You're not Mamoru." She stood abruptly at this and took a cautious step back. The man laughed and stood after her.

"You're so slow, little girl. It's too easy to play with you." His voice had changed instantly. His true self was revealed, his long black hair cascaded down his back in thick strands.

"Where is Mamo-chan?" Usagi demanded, her hands now balled into fists. He only laughed at her.

"And what will happen if I don't tell you? Are you going to yell at your little trinket?" Usagi clutched her chest. _Shit, _she thought._ I left it in my room!_ Tomo took a step toward her. "I've been watching you ever since I learned of this Tokyo of yours. I felt a power in you and your pathetic little friends. I found this intriguing because, no one else in your time holds any kind of power at all." He continued toward her until her feet soaked in the water of the lake. "What is it about you, my dear, that makes you and your friends different than all the others?" She remained silent, standing still. "You, however clumsy and witless, hold the most power." He twirled a lock of her golden hair around his finger as he casually spoke to her. "Tell me," he untwined her lock of hair, letting it fall back into place. "Why is that?"

Usagi curled her lip at this and swung at the man. Tomo grasped her wrist before her fist made contact with his face. He violently swung her arm behind her, turned her around and took her other arm. She sounded her protest with a few small cries, but otherwise kept her mouth shut. He used one hand to keep her wrists bound, and grabbed a fistful of her hair. She winced at this, but said nothing. They trudged further into the water, until it reached waist high.

"I do have Mamoru, by the way. He's a wonderful lover." He whispered to her, sounding all too pleased.

"Let him go!" She growled. Tomo disregarded her demand by shoving her down below the water.

Rei dropped the book from here and grasped her throat. She was suddenly drenched.

"Rei?" Makoto asked in a panic. The girls swarmed around her, trying to figure out what was wrong. Rei held her throat and tried to inhale, but only choked. "She's choking!" Haruka watched the girls try to aid their friend. Her eyes widened as she connected the dots, and she went for the book, reading through the events unfolding.

Tomo pulled her from the water and smirked at her as she coughed.

Rei gasped and coughed, water spilling from her mouth. Minako patted her back. "Are you all right, Rei? You gave us a heart attack!"

"She was drowning." Haruka managed. "Usagi's still in trouble."

Tomo shoved her back under, and outside the book, Rei reacted accordingly with Usagi.

Her throat burned and her heartbeat slowed. She struggled as hard as she could, but she couldn't break from his grasp for anything. The more she panicked, the harder it was to fight him.

The muffled sound of an angry cry sounded from above, and Tomo's grasp was yanked from the girl. She was yanked along for a moment, as he did not let go at once and she screamed as her arm twisted improperly. She turned in the water due to disruption in the water and senses shut off.

Rei collapsed to the ground. The girl was soaked and unconscious. The girls backed away as Haruka approached her. Gently she turned her over and performed mouth-to-mouth. It took a moment, but she soon spit up water and went through a momentary coughing spell.

Usagi was scooped up from the water soon after fainting and was carried to shore. Nuriko pummeled Tomo in the shallow water for a moment before being thrown back by an attack of his own. Six of the seishi threw their own assault at the servant of Seiryu while one stayed on dry land and made haste to revive the princess. Usagi's gaze focused on Chichiri as turmoil unfolded from behind. She simply frowned.

The pain from Usagi's shoulder wasn't as bad now as before. It turned out to be dislocated, but was remedied when Mitsukake put it back into place. She'd done her crying over what had happened, but quickly got over it. It wasn't Mamoru, not now, not then. Her mind was at ease for at least that much. Now though, she worried over him more than anything else. How was she going to help him?

Tomo eventually retreated, and the group returned to the palace. Usagi spoke of what had happened and what was said after she calmed down. The seishi assured her that they would help her get Mamoru back. She realized now that she was in the same predicament as Miaka. This wasn't just their fight anymore. But how was she going to fight if she couldn't transform? She threw herself back onto her bed, looking up at the ceiling in aggravation. After a moment she sighed and sat up to look through her backpack. Her hair was a mess from the evening's events. She'd hardly used the contents in her backpack aside from her clothes since she fell into the book; the servants provided her with supplies. She found her hairbrush and examined it a moment. A few long black strands of hair clung to the bristles and Usagi sighed.

"That brat used my hairbrush!"

**A/N: Ah, so what do you all think? Good? Bad? I'm going to say mediocre. nods Oh, sigh. I have class today, and I haven't slept all night. I don't want to go to class! whines Oh well. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, my dears. Off I go to class. Tah-tah!**


	6. Chapter 6

Usagi's stomach was in knots for days after finding out about Mamoru. She simply couldn't sit still, and who could blame her? Miaka had been especially helpful in keeping her level-headed throughout her grievances; she seemed to know all too well how the blonde girl felt.

"But why?" Minako asked as Makoto added a few chocolate chips to the mixing bowl Ami was working with. Rei shrugged while Michiru looked over the ancient book.

"Haven't figured that out yet." Haruka chimed in. They all pondered over the events of only hours ago.

"Was it just because of Rei? Or, was it something else?" Minako asked again. The only things that were heard in the room were the sounds of baking.

"We'll find out in time, I'm sure. I'm more concerned about Mamoru, and why Selenity can't transform." Michiru noted as she kept reading, biting her thumbnail in the process. Haruka smiled at her companion and took her hand in a kiss; Michiru blushed.

"Selenity..." Ami echoed as she pushed a cookie cutter through pressed dough.

"Any ideas, Ami?" Rei questioned from the couch, and then took a sip of hot cider. The girl was silent for a moment, but eventually shook her head no.

"Not really... but I'm thinking." She took the cut piece of dough and it crumbled to the counter. She'd obviously used too much flour.

(-Break-)

"Tomo!" Yui called as she entered the chambers he seldom dwelled in. The man snuck from out of the shadows.

"What do you want, Priestess?" He questioned, sounding pressed for time. The blond girl folded her arms and put on a sardonic smirk.

"Nakago wants to speak to you about that idiotic scene you caused the other night. You're acting without his consent, and I think he's upset with you." She sounded pleased enough with herself as she relayed the general's message. Tomo made way for the door, but before leaving he stopped at the woman's side with a side glance.

"Haven't you sucked up to that man enough by now? You _are_ the priestess, after all. You should be the one calling the shots, no?" Yui chewed over his words as he spoke them. He grinned inwardly at this. "Oh my, how he makes the rounds with you." To finish off his final words, he tapped the young girl on the backside and sauntered off, leaving her to fume, and think.

"Hello?" Mamoru peered into the darkness. He could have sworn he heard a third party in the room. He frowned as he thought back. "Usako... I'm so sorry..."

(-Break-)

Usagi's slender fingers traced over the shape of the Ginzuisho as she sat in thought. The crystal was still dull and listless. No glow, no life. Why was that though? Why couldn't she transform? Why wouldn't the crystal react to her calling? What was wrong? Being away from the senshi should not have been a problem; she was always able to do things on her own. So why, then? Why? Her mind echoed these ponderings, over and over again. She wasn't going to find an answer though, not tonight.

She bit her lip, as she'd started to do when lost in her thoughts. She'd often hear a chuckle not long after. Everyone seemed to get to know her well enough in the months passed. They knew that when she was deep in thought, she would chew on her lip. When she was sad, her eyes would become a deeper blue than they'd ever seen before. When she ate, she covered her mouth with her hand. Or that she sat with her toes curled. They knew that, when she thought no one was around, she'd try to be graceful, and sweep her feet across the floor in a subtle sort of dance. They knew all these things, or rather, he did. It was the bystander who she hadn't yet realized knew so much. Another thing she didn't know that he did was that she _was_ graceful. Graceful in everything she did. Was this really her, though? He believed it.

She was different before she fell into the book, yes. She'd told him this, and he had no doubt it was true. He felt though, that how she acted now, was more herself than she'd ever behaved before.

Usagi was still the silly girl everyone knew and loved. She hadn't become lifeless or dull; she still had her silly ways. The girl was slowly coming to a realization; perhaps she hadn't lost part of herself by way of her change. Maybe, just maybe, she'd gained a part of herself. That part she'd lost so long ago.

She had put the crystal away long ago and settled into bed. The bed was comfortable and the sheets warm. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and let herself slip.

Her silence was broken as someone knocked at the door. She could hear, but she didn't answer; she was more asleep than awake. The door opened, but this did nothing to effect her state.

The mattress sank slightly beside her, but her eyes did not open until warmth brushed against her cheek. The faint vision of Mamoru flashed through her mind before seeing the man before her. The warmth had gone with his hand. She'd smiled at the warmth; nostalgia watered her eyes.

"Why do you wear a mask?" She finally asked. Chichiri smiled briefly and vaguely at this.

"That's a long story, ya' know." His voice was kind, it lulled her.

"I could use a bedtime story." She snuggled down into her sheets as she said so. He chuckled at her.

"It's not exactly bedtime material, ya' know." Usagi yawned, her eyes growing heavy.

"A bad memory?" She asked, unaware of how rude she may have been by asking such questions. Chichiri nodded slowly.

"Yes. A bad memory." For a moment Usagi looked at her friend with tired eyes. She took his hand with hers and brought it to her lips. Chichiri froze, a strange feeling swelling in his chest. She kissed his hand gently, as if to say, "I'm sorry". She let his hand rest on her chest, still grasping it with her own. He gave a pained smile after she closed her eyes and decided it was time to go.

Usagi kept his hand, even as he stood. He tugged only once, but she wouldn't let go. She opened her eyes once more to look up at him. A moment of staring passed, and the girl closed her eyes and rolled over, his hand still in hers. He stumbled forward, now bending over her, trying to keep from sitting on the bed.

"Usagi-chan," he chuckled. She didn't answer. Chichiri sighed and climbed over her, laying down on the other side of the bed to face her. Her eyes still closed, she smiled victoriously to herself. He grinned back at this and reached over to touch the girl's cheek once again. Subconsciously she lifted the sheets she rested under, inviting him to come closer. He did so, scooting inch by inch until she buried her face in his chest. He whispered in her ear, and she replied with a smile; "Good night."

(-Break-)

They stood, facing their enemy's landmark. A few more blocks and they would be storming through the palace doors. The Suzaku seishi camped in the clutter of trees that stopped at the edge of a rapid river.

Usagi sat next to Miaka, knots forming in the pit of her stomach. The girl twiddled her thumbs and fumbled with the skirt of her school uniform. The priestess noted the girl's anxious state and tried to calm her with a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"What does this mean, Miaka?" Usagi asked as she looked at the girl. Miaka frowned. She wanted to say that everything would be alright, but there was no way of being sure.

From what she learned of Usagi's encounter with Tomo, Miaka's thoughts became dark as she thought back. She let her head fall back as she thought of Tamahome, and the look he had in his eyes then. That empty look was so painful. Had Yui done it again? Had she slipped Mamoru the same drug she'd given to Tamahome? If that was the truth, Miaka had no idea how to prepare Usagi for such a trial.

"I don't know what it means, Usagi-chan." The truth; they would find out soon enough.

"I'm so worried about Mamo-chan." Tears formed in the young girl's eyes and she balled handfuls of her shirt into her fists. Tamahome noted the two and sent a poignant smile Miaka's way.

That day still hurt her so badly when she thought about it. The circumstances were understandable, but that didn't change the way she felt when he stared her down with his raised fist. One of her greatest fears was of Tamahome becoming that way willingly. The first time Miaka ever seriously played the scene out in her head, chills immediately ran the length of her spine. The feeling tugged at the corners of her mouth to form a horrified frown.

The sun began to set, and it was finally time to move on. Miaka was possibly just as nervous as Usagi, worrying about whether her friend would be saved as well. Unlikely, she thought. Yui was there willingly, she had no desire to come back.

They trudged on down a dirt and gravel pass, and the priestess shut her eyes tightly, urging her tears not to leak through. Everything was so screwed up! How could a simple misunderstand become so hideous? How could she possibly think that Miaka, her best friend of eleven years, would ever simply forget about her?

Yui's suffering was not for nothing. She wasn't raped in vain. No, she wasn't even raped! Nakago had twisted her thinking to the point of no return. Nothing her best friend could say would change the girl's mind.

Her eyes were still shut tightly, and in her blind mental rambling, she lost her footing over the bulge of a tree root sprouting from below. She fell with a whimper; her tears had fallen on queue. She wasn't hurt, at least physically.

Usagi paused to look over her friend, who'd fallen instead of her. She cocked a brow at whose luck had fallen. Usually it was she who was the klutz. She saw that Miaka was fine, but her face held such sadness. Usagi's eyes cast downward, feeling her pain.

His frown grew, and he made his way toward his love. His arms wrapped around her like a warm blanket and gently raised her to her feet with gentle ease. Her tears didn't soak her cheeks for long; Tamahome was quick to wipe them away. She tried a smile for him, which was more than he could have asked for.

(-Break-)

Rei and Ami sat together at the dinner table sipping tea and reading through the Shi Jin Tenshi Sho, wondering how things would turn out in the next few pages.

The raven haired priestess still couldn't feel completely comfortable in the Mizuno household. The entranceway was carved in marble, as were most of the other walls. Rei was even afraid to place foot inside; worried that she might scuff the floor.

It wasn't as bad as the first time they'd all set foot in Ami's house, though. Minako scratched the entire length of the wall to the left of the foyer with that dreaded sword. That was so long ago, when they'd first met 'Sailor V'. She remembered when Usagi couldn't stop calling her V Babe and a smile graced the girl's face.

"Are you still reading?" Ami intuitively inquired as she kept her eyes on her jigsaw puzzle. Rei was broken out of her reverie and quirked one corner of her mouth at her ingenious friend. She always somehow knew these things. Ami smiled as well, as if replying to her friend's thoughts.

"They're going to fight soon." Rei noted without thought.

"And what of Mamoru?" Ami questioned.

"I told you, he's with the Seiryuu. That bastard Tomo took him. He's the same one who took that strange form in the corner of Mamoru's apartment." Ami nodded, still playing at her puzzle.

"That bastard…" Rei continued. Ami paused from her project and looked to her friend. "Taking the form of the one she loves and then _beating_ her. I can't even imagine what that would feel like." Ami nodded, nibbling at her bottom lip.

"We're all worried about her, about them." It was Rei's turn to nod and she subconsciously reached for her cup of green tea. Her grip wasn't secure and her cup plopped down on her lap, hot tea scalding her legs. She cursed and jumped to her feet, bumping the table in the process. Ami stood to find a towel and Rei apologized as long as it took for her to come back with supplies.

"Don't worry Rei-chan. These things happen. Are your legs all right?" Rei nodded as she was handed a towel. After carefully dabbing the terry-cloth over her red skin, she rung out the stain on her skirt, droplets of tea falling to the cloth she placed below her.

Rei wore a gray t-shirt that fitted tightly around her frame, accentuating the size of her breasts and the subtle curves of her core. Etched in a medium blue was a water serpent that coiled around the entire shirt until its head came to a stop just below the collar. The scales and fins were traced in a slightly darker shade of blue. Her skirt was short and black to match, but now it was soaked, and she couldn't stand that damp feeling.

"Just a minute," Ami said. "I think I may have something that will match that." She disappeared for a moment before Rei could protest and came back handing her a blue pleated skirt. "It's part of my uniform," she noted matter-of-factly, "but I think it will match."

"Thanks Ami." She paused to look around. "Um, where is the bathroom again?" Ami chuckled and pointed to the end of a long marble-carved hallway. She thanked Ami one last time before disappearing behind the last door to the right.

Rei unzipped her stained shirt and let it slide down her limbs. She picked up the blue skirt to inspect for a moment or two. The color looked like it would match. She remembered the hideous bows on the backs of the skirts and quickly turned it over for inspection. A small smile of satisfaction stretched her lips as she found no bow.

Thankfully there was no zipper. The band was elastic, and so it would fit her nicely. Once it was on she looked herself over in the mirror. It seemed she and Ami were about the same size. Rei turned a full circle and then stopped so her right side faced the reflection. Her brows furrowed as she looked down at her thigh.

_What's this?_ She thought as her fingers traced over a dark stain she hadn't noticed before. _Did she wash this..?_ As her fingertips touched the stain she realized it was fresh and she yelped in pain. Without hesitation, she lifted the blue cloth to expose her naked legs.

A deep aggravated puncture wound oozed a deep red on her thigh just below her panty line. The pool of warm liquid slowly trailed from her wound down the length of her leg. She yelped again as her leg cramped up and slowly went numb in her foot.

"You have to keep moving, Usagi!" Chiriko shouted desperately. The blonde girl limped toward safety with her foot quickly going numb.

The young boy pressed a small green leaf to his lips and closed his eyes. The high-pitched whistle stabbed Usagi's ears which quickly caused a migraine. The enemies who'd been following them before had stopped in their tracks with their hands over their ears. Once she saw her chance to run, she did.

Long golden streamers of hair trailed behind Usagi as she ran with a rather pathetic gimp following every other step of the way. She turned a corner blindly and ran down a narrow hallway until she barreled through the first door she found. She quietly but quickly shut the door behind her and leaned against it, taking a moment for air. As she calmed, the feeling in her wounded leg quickly snuck back into play. The pain was growing, and starting from her wound, the strangest tingling sensation spread across all her leg. Once she shifted her weight to her good leg, she sank her way to the ground for a sit.

Usagi forced herself to calm down. She needed to think, to strategize. How were she and the Seishi going to get out of this mess? Her odangos were loose and ready to fall out; one did that moment. The other would follow soon after. She frowned as thoughts of Mamoru snuck back into her mind.

"Mamo-chan…" Her eyes watered and the routine she'd picked up was close at hand. The girl realized how much she'd done this since she's gotten to this place and violently shook her head to stop herself. "Stop it, Usagi." She hissed to herself. It was time to stop moping over her problems and deal with them somehow. She decided that she was going to get over this, just as soon as she dealt with her wound.

Usagi tore at her uniformed skirt until a good sized strip was in her hand. With some strained effort, Usagi managed to wrap the cloth around her leg and then tightly wrap it around her wounded leg like a bandage. She'd tightened it until she felt no circulation would be left. It hurt, but she needed to do it.

A ruckus caused the girl to jump to her feet and scan the dark room with panicked eyes. Out stepped none other than Mamoru, and Usagi narrowed her eyes, not wanting to fall for another one of Tomo's tricks.

"Hello, Usako." She bit her lip and furrowed her brows, obviously aggravated. She folded her arms.

"I'm not playing this game again, Tomo. Show yourself!" A dark cackle echoed in reply to this girl's demand. She stiffened at this, because she knew, even without seeing, that Momoru's mouth hadn't moved.

"As you wish." The voice complied. Out stepped a silhouette that Usagi was sure she knew. Her eyes widened as the figure stepped over to Mamoru's side with a clever grin.

"How can this be? I thought..." Usagi stopped, confused as ever. Mamoru hadn't gone into the book, had he? What was going on? She took a very small step forward, her hands over her thumping chest. "Mamoru, how did you get here? Are you all right?" Her love said nothing. With this unusual act, she cautiously stepped right back. Too many times had she been fooled by that cad Tomo. She'd learned her lessons, and would not be fooled again.

Mamoru stepped into the light, and she could see that his eyes beheld the same glaze as before, when he'd shown her no mercy. He'd done it again, she thought. But Tomo was not disguising himself this time; this truly was Mamoru. She still remained cautious, trying to think of a plan.

"Mamo-chan, what has he done to you?" She questioned eagerly. Tomo chuckled.

"He won't answer you," he spoke casually as he examined his nails. He then paused to look at her. "Unless of course, you strike his interest." Usagi quirked a brow at this but took a moment to chew over his words.

"Mamo-chan, it's Usagi. Don't you remember me?" She braved a short walk up to him and held his face in her hands. "Remember us, a thousand years ago?" He looked at her, and the girl smiled over her small triumph. "You do remember, then?" Tomo had gone back to examining his nails.

"Try harder, dear." He coaxed with sarcasm. Usagi shot him a hateful look, but only for a moment. She had no time for him.

"Do you remember Crystal Tokyo? Your friends, our daughter?" At this, Mamoru's gaze flickered.

"Daughter?" Usagi beamed.

"Yes, Mamo-chan. Our daughter, Chibi-Usa. Oh, you do remember!"

"Chibi... Usa?" Usagi blinked, feeling a bit awkward.

"Yes..."

"That's not what I wanted to name her..." Mamoru's voice was monotone, and his gaze still empty. Usagi looked slightly hurt, and then took a step back.

"What?" Mamoru looked at her, finally focusing.

"I never wanted to give her such a name. And the way you raised her..." He shook his head, as if disappointed. "You spoiled her too much, made her soft. She needed to be tougher, better, stronger. She is our future, Usagi. Do you truly want her to carry on your mother's foolish legacy? Her damn traditions, and that stupid hair style." The future queen looked appalled at his words and she frowned in hurtful anger.

"How dare you! I know that's not the real Mamoru speaking. Come back to me!" She took a step back toward him, trying to find him behind those fogged, empty eyes. He looked down at her before he spoke.

"I think we need to raise her differently. I am after all, the King of the Earth." Usagi grew angry; the emotion was winning over her sorrow. She balled her hands and stood her ground. "Although, I am rather impatient. I would like to start ruling the Earth my way as soon as possible, and to do that, we need to get started."

Before Usagi had even thought to fear for her innocence, she took the initiative to slap him as hard as she could. Tomo puckered his lips, as if to make a sort of an "oo" sound. Though his voice was lost, the action was nevertheless taunting.

"I think you'd better run, girl. He does mean business." Tomo sent his gaze downward with an unusual amount of interest in his eyes. His gaze sent Usagi's following, and she gawked at what looked to be straining against the inside of his slacks. Without sparing another minute, she ran.

(-Break-)

Usagi sat up in bed as someone rapped at her bedroom door. She chewed on her nails while her free arm hugged her knees. Her toes twiddles together, her hair was knotted from restless sleep; her eyes were bloodshot with dark bags for the same reason.

"Usagi, honey, can I come in? You've been in that room for some time now, you need a bite to eat." Nuriko called, waiting for the girl's reply.

"Why?" She mumbled through her nail biting, honestly confused. "Why couldn't I transform?" That was the question that bugged her more than anything now. The shock of what had happened between herself and Mamoru had passed, though it wasn't going to go away by any means.

She remembered running for the door. She didn't want to be played with again. And this time knowing that this was truly Momaru, she was truly horrified.

She ran for the door so carelessly that she'd lost her footing and fell, cracking her chin on the ground beneath her. She started hyperventilating, making desperate cries as she crawled frantically for the door.

There was no time for talk, not that he'd wanted to. All he thought about was getting the job done. He'd raise his daughter the right way, and she would be his rightful heir.

He grabbed at her ankles and roughly twisted her on her back. She shook her head and cried, kicking violently to ward him away. He simply swatted her kicks away like a minor annoyance, her actions were too panicked.

Mamoru readied himself over her, and she struggled while choking over her tears. "Stop! Mamoru, please!" He wouldn't listen. A scream rang throughout the room as he'd forced his way in, and finally the door to her darkened hell was opened.

Chiciri stared wide eyed at the display on the floor, and Usagi cried and clawed at the floor to crawl away. Mamoru let her, getting to his feet and situating himself. Usagi waled Chichiri's name as she made her way toward him on all fours. The monk met her halfway, arms wide open as he knealed before her to gather her in his arms.

Her skirt was on backwards, and a torn pair of underwear with 'guilty' written all over it laid at Mamoru's feet.

Chichiri's gaze darkened, his brows furrowed. Every ounce of hatred the monk could have possibly conjured was all focused on one man. That filthy, no good Mamoru. His grip tightened protectively around this broken girl with one strong arm, as the other gripped angrily at his staff. He wanted to rip his throat out! He couldn't though, Usagi needed to be taken to safety, back to Konan. Chichiri took the hat from around his neck and placed it over his head. A look of pure hatred was sent to each man in the room before the two dissapeared.

(-Break-)

Ami's hand hovered quivering over her gaping mouth, brows furrowed, eyes welling. She blinked in disbelief, her shocked tears crashing to her lap. She remembered Rei and quickly swiped her tears away. She had to know, that was definate, but she wanted to appear as the calm one. Ami always seemed to be the calm one. She felt like she had to be most of the time, everyone else seemed to wear their emotions on their sleeves. The girl gandered down the hall. Rei wasn't out of the bathroom yet. Ami glanced at her watch; forty five minutes. What was she doing in there?

After knocking on the door several times, she simply decided to try the doorknob. "Rei?" She peaked through the crack of the open door. "What are you doing in there, dear?" The answer to her question was a snivel. Ami pushed the door back. Rei sat in a corner next to the large jecoozy tub, a tiny puddle of blood where her leg rested, and her face soaked from hysterical tears. A few long strands of hair clung to her cheeks.

"Rei..."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I added a little more to the end of chapter six, go read that before you do this. Hope you enjoy **

"Rei is obviously connected to Selenity somehow. We just need to figure out how, and if there's any way that we can get our princess back. She's been stuck in that book far too long, now." Haruka announced pointedly with a leader's strength etched in her tone.

"Everything that happens to Usagi is happening to Rei?" Minako questioned as she watched the book for more of the story to unfold. Ami nodded.

"What if we found something that belonged to her?" Makoto quirked her head to the side, obviously curious. Michiru continued. "You know, sort of like voodoo; find something that belongs to that person, and somehow be connected to her even though she's not here." Ami nodded at Neptune's explanation.

"That may just work." The group stood from their seated places and readied their selves for a trip.

"To Usagi's house?" Makoto inquired. Haruka nodded.

The girls had been welcomed without question. Usagi had been missing for four days now, and in the book for only God knows how long.

"What should we grab?" Minako wondered. Haruka looked the room over.

"Anything you think may be useful. Let's not ransack her room, though." As the girls looked through the room, Rei remembered her previous idea to ask Setsuna for help and she looked to Haruka.

"Did you ever get in touch with Pluto?" Rei questioned the tall woman.

"Yes." Michiru interrupted. Rei looked to her and shrugged in question.

"And?"

"She can't do anything about this."

"How were you able to get in touch with her?" It was Haruka's turn to interrupt.

"We have our ways." She said with a smirk.

What was needed was gathered and the Senshi soon made their way back to the temple.

(-Break-)

"What would you do if you were in the same situation as me?" She questioned as she relaxed on Miaka's overstuffed comforter. Usagi helped herself to another of the miko's sweets. Miaka sat at the head of her bed, also indulging in her chocolate covered strawberries. She paused between bites and looked at her friend. She sighed after swallowing and put the rest down.

"I have been in the same situation." Usagi looked to her friend, her strawberry halting its short journey half way to her mouth. She opened her ears and quickly licked at the chocolate before it dribbled on the bedsheets.

The strawberries were gone and in the empty bowl's place was a pile of waded tissues. Miaka gave a sour smile and then managed a single sad laugh. "As you can see, it still bothers me to this day. I can't imagine how Tamahome must feel when he thinks back." Usagi lay at Miaka's feet, her frown still worn, her eyes slightly glassy.

"You've gone through so much..." Usagi observed aloud. The Suzaku no Miko had divulged everything that she'd gone through since entering the book, from where it started, being separated from her best friend, to where the situation had manifested, now. A single and final tear was swiped from the blonde's face as she felt a bit better for her situation. Perhaps things would work out for her as well. Then she frowned, thinking the exact opposite. What if things wouldn't work out? She then remembered the incident back in the enemy's palace. It had really been Mamoru that time. This lead her to more depressing thoughts. She'd been comforted by Miaka's words, more so because she thought she was in the same situation as her friend had once been in but... she hadn't figured in what had recently happened until now. She may have been in a similar situation before, but not now. "Maybe I should just give up..." Her thoughts came through. Miaka shook her head.

"No, Usagi, don't give up. You can't. You have to be strong. You've told me so much about him while you've been here, and though I don't know him personally, I strongly believe that he honestly wouldn't harm you. Usagi-chan. You can't give up; then how would you really find out if things are what they seem? You have to keep fighting. If not for him, then for yourself, for your own piece of mind." Usagi chuckled weakly at her friend's inspirational speech. She did make a point. Miaka laughed herself. "A little corny, huh?"

"I don't know." Usagi sighed as she sat up, hugging her legs to her chest. "What happened back there..." Miaka frowned and the room grew silent. Another painful chortle broke that silence. Her eyes watered. "Maybe I should just forget about him and start over." Usagi laughed again, this time at herself. It seemed to help.

"Already got someone in mind?" Miaka tried as he nudged her friend playfully. Her tears had already fallen and dried when she found she couldn't reply. Miaka cocked a brow at this. She wasn't sure if she should have laughed or been shocked. "... Have you?" Was the miko's baffled question. Usagi sat there, her mouth wide open with nothing coming out. Finally, her voice box stumbled into action, but her answer was quickly cut short.

"What do you mean you don't know how?" A familiar voice sliced through the moment. Usagi perked up, looking confused as ever. Miaka quirked her head to one side.

"Do you hear something?" The priestess's question wouldn't be answered. Usagi seemed to look to the ceiling. What was she looking for?

"This is as far as your hunch goes?" Her sarcastic mouth wasn't helping matters, she was really just making things worse.

"If you can do any better, then go ahead you ill tempered little brat!" Came a deeper voice. Where was it coming from? Usagi looked everywhere she could.

"Whoa!" Mako-chan's voice was so easy to recognize. "Both of you take a chill pill! Rei, we're all under the same amount of stress. Stop taking it out on us. We'll find a way to get Usagi out." After that was nothing else and quickly Usagi came back to her senses once Miaka rattled her shoulder. The blonde looked to her friend in question.

"Where did you go?" Miaka questioned with a bit of a giggle. Usagi shook her head.

"I don't know... I must be hearing things." She gave the room one last listen before she gave up and stretched. "I think I'm going to call it a night. I really appreciate the talk, Miaka-chan." The girl nodded and smiled at the hug she'd received. With a goodnight her friend was gone and she was alone to relax. Miaka frowned slightly at this. She wanted Tamahome's company.

Usagi returned to her room and plopped down on the side of her bed. _"... Have you?"_ Miaka's voice echoed in her mind. Did she really have someone else in mind? Had she been thinking of another? No. She couldn't have. She was in love with Mamoru! Then again... things had been extremely screwed up lately, and he had changed. It was true, she did want to forget, but was this the best way? Was it wise? What about Crystal Tokyo, and Chibi-Usa? Usagi sighed and lay down on the edge of the bed.

_Okay,_ she thought. _I'll close my eyes. The first person I think of that isn't Mamoru must be..._ It only took her a second for a familiar face to appear. The faced that came to mind though surprised her. Sure, she couldn't answer Miaka's question, but she'd figured it was just a simple brain fog. _Is he really who I had in mind this whole time? Do I really care for him... like that?_ She thought about it a little bit more, opened her eyes to stare at the canopy above, and then shut them once more, thinking more about who had come to mind.

_He is handsome,_ she thought. _Well... what I haven't seen of his face. Wait, how can I really know how good looking he is unless I 'see' him?_ Usagi grinned as her thoughts took her elsewhere. What would he look like beneath that mask? She wondered for a while, putting together different kinds of features until a few had her giggling in amusement.

_He could be so good looking..._ She thought again as her cheeks burnt with color. She curled her toes and nibbled on her lip as she lost herself. _He's always been kind to me. He's spent more time with me than anyone else. I wonder if he cares for me?_ "Unh..." Was the only thing she uttered the entire time she imagined.

Chichiri walked the short path from his room to Usagi's hoping that she was in a little better mood than yesterday. He hadn't seen her all day today, mainly because she'd been locked up in Miaka's room while they 'girl chatted'. He reached her door and prepared to knock, but stopped at hearing her voice. Was she still talking to Miaka? Just to make sure, Chichiri quickly snuck over to Miaka's room and looked through the cracked door. He frowned. She wasn't there. Maybe she was with Tamahome. He arrived back at the girl's door and again raised his hand to knock. He heard her mumbling again and paused. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to disturb her. What was she saying anyway?

Usagi took in a shaky breath and let it out just as unevenly. The pale pink nightgown she wore slipped from her raised knees to rest around her waist. Her exposed legs were long and slender. They trembled slightly and she took in her final feverish breath. "Chichiri...!" She moaned to herself and arched her back. The door creaked open and she came back to her senses in a panic. When she jumped in surprise she slipped off the edge of bed, taking the sheets with her. The white sheet thankfully covered her when it landed, and she thanked the lord for small favors as she quickly made sure her nightgown covered the proper areas.

"I uh... I'm sorry." Chichiri said as he made his way to the bundle of sheet covering his friend. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought I heard you call me." He uncovered her and tossed the sheet back onto the bed. Usagi's eye twitched and her face turned ten different shades of red. One of the straps from her gown slipped from her shoulder to show off what more it could and her hair was a bit tangled. She sat with her legs curled to one side, her gown looked rumpled and she twiddled her fingers. "Um... is this a bad time?" The poor girl looked about ready to cry and he quickly helped her to her feet. Once her embarrassment eased a bit her face flushed and Chichiri furrowed his brows. "Are you okay?" She said nothing at first. He checked her temperature as she sat back down on the mattress. "You feel hot, ya' know."

"I was feeling really hot." She blurted out. Chichiri only looked confused.

"Aren't you feeling well?" She nodded quickly, eager for him to forget that last comment. God, what was wrong with her? Usagi gathered her hair over her shoulder and began to run her fingers through the tangles.

"Was there something you needed?" She questioned, desperate to change the subject. He remembered what he'd come for and smiled.

"I just wanted to know if you were feeling any better since... ya' know." Great. She wanted to change the subject but that was the last thing she wanted to think about. She shook her head and gave him her best smile.

"Oh, I'm fine. Things have been crazy but, I'm slowly learning to cope." She continued to comb through her hair. He was silent for a moment.

"I don't mean to pry, Usagi-chan. I just... care." Her finger stopped in the midst of a tangle and she looked up at him, eyes both curious and shy.

"You do?" She almost squeaked, her finger stuck in the mess that was her hair. The monk laughed low in his throat and took her hand from her messy locks. His own fingers combed through her hair with less complication than she could have ever pulled off. There was silence for a moment as he was caught up in his task. Was he avoiding her question? Not that he hadn't already said that he cared, but, a second affirmation would have been great!

"Usagi..." She perked up in response, looking at him in question. "Do you remember the night we spent together?" That question was rather blunt. She felt a little silly for being so forward that night.

"Yeah. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I just really needed the company." He nodded, still combing.

"No. I understand. It was nice, ya' know." Usagi felt a little tickle in her gut that forced a smile to surface. Her smile faded when his eyes caught hers. That tickle in her gut intensified, and froze, her eyes locked on him. His fingers still ran through her long hair, but not to comb out any knots. He'd finished and her hair was no tangle free. It had smoothed and he liked the feel of her soft locks. The staring contest prolonged and the silence continued. She had a pretty good idea of where this was going. He slowly leaned forward. She stayed frozen but reached forward. Her hand rested at the nap of his neck as he came closer. She wanted to removed that dreaded mask. She wanted to see him before he kissed her. Her index finger traced the line of his jaw, feeling the fringe of the mask. He didn't object, he knew what she was after and paused a moment for her. This was it, she was going to see behind that false smile. She tugged at the edge of it, ready to pull it off, but was quickly pulled out of her trance when the loud clank sounded through the room. They both jumped and suddenly felt awkward. Chichiri cleared his throat and stood from his place to pick up his staff. He carelessly leaned it against the edge of the bed, it must have fallen over. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan." She gave him another sweet smile.

"What for?" She looked at him as though nothing had happened. "There's nothing to apologize for." After a moment he nodded in relief.

"Well," he said, "I'll see you in the morning." He stood over her, planted a kiss on her cheek, and left the room. Usagi sighed.

"What's wrong with me?" She demanded to no one but herself and threw herself back on the bed.

Elsewhere, all the senshi sat gathered around the book, tea forgotten, mouths gaping in utter disbelief. Rei, who had been reading the events out loud was possibly the only one who didn't have a beat red face; she was just shocked.

"What the hell?" Was all the fiery princess could say.

**Hey all! I added a little bit more to this chapter. Hehe, I think it's splendid. Maybe a little scandalous, but we all need that in a story now and then. If it's a little too vague, I'm sorry. I wanted it to be though, to let your imagination do some of the work, hehe. So what do you think? Let me know! **

**Sorry I haven't updated in some time. College has been sucking up my time, as it should. I'm sorry too, because this chapter is short, and, I don't think it's very well written. I feel like my work has been steadily going downhill as more time passes. I think my inspiration has been dying a little bit day by day. I promise that when I find words to better improve this story, I'm going to put it down, and edit the crap out of this story! Be gentle... I haven't been well -insert bitch n moan here- Take care darlings.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah yeah, it's on all the other damn pages. o.-**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yada, yada, the disclaimer's on the first few pages at least.**

Chichiri left the room with a bit more confidence than he'd entered with. Had she really been doing that? He felt so silly after thinking she was simply calling him; whoops! That thought gave him a good laugh as he walked down the hall.

The way she looked when he lifted the sheet from her almost made him as breathless as she was at that moment. Rosy cheeks, her hair askew, her legs trembled slightly, even though they simply lay still. Her eyes seemed a bit brighter; perhaps a sort of foggy blue.

He'd made it to his quarters and sat down on his bed, setting his staff aside. He did make her feel things he hadn't since then. With that thought in mind he took off his mask and looked at the inside as he held it in one hand. He sighed.

(-Break-)

His eyes were empty and clouded, much like Tamahome's were when this trick had been pulled before. Yui sat at the windowsill in her usual oversized evening shirt. This one though, she'd taken from Mamoru; she liked the way it smelled. The mindless man stood in front of her, still as a statue, waiting for some kind of command that may move him. Yui turned her head from the courtyard and eyed him up and down. She scoffed, though it could have been forced.

"You aren't Tamahome… but there is something that I like about you. Something that reminds me of him." He said nothing; simply stood still. She stood from her place and approached him. He kept his gaze focused on nothing, which quickly changed as soon as the priestess ordered him to look at her. "Am I pretty, Mamoru?" Her question was honest, and a part of her looked almost sad. He nodded, still looking at her. "Am I beautiful?" Again, he nodded.

Her fingers undid one button after the other, until her shirt rested open over her shoulders, revealing her milky skin, and the slight glimpse of her hardly covered breasts. His gaze darkened slightly.

There was always a part of her that screamed what she was doing was wrong, even when she had stolen Miaka's love away. It wasn't fair though, she'd been stranded and raped waiting for her; why should any of this feel wrong? And this Mamoru… She didn't even know whose love this was, save for a glance she had of the girl when she and the senshi invaded her palace. This made her feel less of a snake. She didn't know the girl; therefore her future acts would be easy.

Her first order had Mamoru kissing at the nape of her neck and gently cupping her breast. Yui's cheeks flushed with color, his touch was very pleasing. Easily, he picked her up and carried her to the bed, where he gently placed her down. Somewhere between being touched and carried to the bed her shirt was removed. His lips found hers, and quickly his tongue came into play, tickling her own.

The fact that these acts were entirely empty only hurt her a little. She'd become shallow in needing to be accepted so desperately. She wanted what Miaka and Tamahome had so badly, that now it didn't matter how she got it.

She blushed as she felt his hand travel up her inner thigh. A sharp intake of breath was the only response she could manage once his fingers played against her gently.

"Mamoru…" She nearly moaned.

"Yes." His tone held nothing.

"Love me." She now cried, a sudden onslaught of tears spilling from her eyes. "Love me." Mamoru ceased all actions and made his way into bed with her. Mindlessly he gathered her in his arms, her head now resting on his chest while she cried harder. His hand caressed her back as he stared into nothing. Her nakedness was casually covered by the satin sheet he tugged over her shoulders.

(-Break-)

"Hello?" A voice echoed. Usagi twitched in her sleep. "Usagi." It echoed again.

"Hmm…" Was her sleepy response.

"Wake up Odango-tama!" Usagi shot up in her bed, quickly rubbing her eyes and opening her ears.

"What the…?" She listened again.

"That's right, doofus! It's me!" Somehow Usagi didn't seem too keen at the moment to hear from her hot tempered friend.

"Let me go back to sleep." She whined as she lay back down.

"Still as lazy as ever. I should have seen this coming. Don't you go back to sleep! I went through hell to try and get a hold of you!"

"So call me back laaater." She whined again, obviously still half asleep.

"Usagi get up you dumb lit- !" Rei's shouts were muffled for the moment as one of the other senshi tried to take her place.

"Usagi-chan, get up!" Ami hollered. Usagi hardly heard the blue haired brainiac shout, so when she did, she shot back up. She gave her eyes another good rub and yawned.

"Ami?" Ami pursed her lips to prevent a smile as Rei threw her arms up in aggravated defeat.

"It's me, Usagi-chan. We're trying to find a way to get you back home." At this Usagi beamed, but then quickly frowned.

"Wait, what about Mamoru? What about everyone else?" Ami cocked a brow at this.

"What do you mean everyone else? There are only two of you to save." She said matter-of-factly. Usagi frowned and her thoughts traveled immediately to Chichiri, and a half a second later, the rest of the seishi. Unbeknownst to Usagi, Ami read her emotions on the page of parchment before her and quickly nodded her head. "Ohhh." Personally Ami didn't know what to think of how things were unfolding. Mamoru and Usagi had been together, forever! It was their destiny to be together, to make Crystal Tokyo, to have Chibi-Usa. What would ever happen if this weren't so? Ami sighed. "Usagi…" Before she could manage another word the blonde girl waved it away and spoke.

"I know, Ami. I don't need to be reminded. I, of all people, know it best." Ami frowned. "I've been shackled without any say in the matter." She added in with a mumble. _Jeeze_, Ami thought.

"Is it really all that bad? I thought you loved him, Usagi." Ami questioned, trying to sound reasonable but failing.

"Have you been reading what's been going on?" She demanded. Usagi bit her lip and angrily scrunched the sheets into her balled fists. Ami nodded dumbly. "What am I supposed to think? How am I supposed to feel?" She had nothing else to throw while she shouted, so she yanked her sheets from herself and threw them in a childish fit. "You have _no_ idea what I'm going through! You have no idea what I'm thinking or feeling! He's taken advantage of me! It wasn't his fault, but I feel resentment toward _him_! I love him, AND I HATE HIM!" Usagi was fuming and hysterical all at once. "And the one I hate more than any of this, the one that's tainted my feelings so badly is Tomo. I swear to God I'm going to kill that son of a bitch! I'll kill him!" She shouted so loudly that her voice went hoarse at her final sentence. Ami didn't say a word, nor did the rest of the senshi lurking in the background who listened.

Rei's brows furrowed, her hands clenched at her sides. She may not have been Usagi, but she'd definitely experienced some of what was going on while she was in that book. A tear trickled down the girl's cheek as her feelings and thoughts churned. After a moment she forced herself to calm down long enough to take Ami's spot and speak with Usagi.

"Usagi," Rei spoke. "We haven't figured out a way for you to come back just yet, we've obviously only gotten this far, but we need to get you back as well as Mamoru. Maybe you should speak with Hotohori or one of the others and see if they can think of something." The blonde girl reluctantly complied. Rei didn't argue, it was more than enough for now.

"Go back to sleep, Usagi-chan…" With that, Rei closed slowly closed the book and sighed.

Usagi sat in the dark for a moment in thought. Rei had called her Usagi-chan. That was rare. Maybe she understood… she shook her head and fell back to her pillow. The sheet was out of reach. Luckily she wasn't stupid enough to toss the comforter; she reached for it and snuggled in with a frown. She may have had a lot on her mind, but she was so tired… So God damn tired…

**Hello all. A lot of talking in this one, I know, and I'm sure I'll add more to this one soon enough; seems a little short. Tell me what you thought. Not sure whether I like it all or not, but it's what I have for now. Take care dears. **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Just a little bit for now, and then I'll add more later. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: On the first few chapters. Go look at them.**

The next morning she woke up after having a strange dream of talking to her friends. Wait, no. That wasn't a dream. She did talk to them. She thought about the talk she and Miaka shared that night in her room. Aside from the topic at hand, they briefly talked about the book; she'd casually mentioned that every going on in the book was written on the pages for whoever had it to read.

Usagi's eye twitched at this. The thought wasn't even relevant until she remembered what had happened the other night. Her face turned a bright shade of red as she thought some more on the night Chichiri walked in on her. "Oh God!"

(-Break-)

"Hahaha!" Rei kicked her feet in a fit of laughter as she read on, Makoto and Minako laughing just as loudly. "This is priceless!" She squealed as she tried to read aloud.

"Let me read it now!" Makoto reached for the book and snatched it from Rei. She scanned the book with a wide grin until Mina yanked the book away.

"You can't read ancient Chinese!" She plainly stated, wanting to read.

"Neither can you!" Makoto took it back. Rei rolled her eyes at the two and took the book away. "Read it out loud, read it out loud!" Makoto pleaded with a priceless grin. The two girls then gathered around Rei in excited anticipation to hear more.

"Come on you two, it's not nice to laugh at her!" The trio turned to look at Ami with the same scowl. "Heh…" Ami laughed nervously with her hands up defensively, "Well, I suppose it is a _little_ funny."

(-Break-)

Once she got out of bed, she felt the urge to hide under her covers to change, and so she did. Once she was dressed, she looked up and scowled.

(-Break-)

Rei pointed at the picture of their leader scowling at them. She thought she'd laugh so hard she'd pass out. The other two hovered over Rei's shoulders like vultures, gawking with wide smiles at the picture.

(-Break-)

Usagi sat at the steps to Hotohori's throne after talking about a possible escape from the book. The emperor told her about the time they'd taken Miaka back the first time with someone named Taitskun. She chewed on her lip while she thought.

"I just don't understand the point of bringing me back while Mamoru is still here as well." She said to mainly herself. Hotohori nodded.

"It's up to you, Usagi-chan." The girl nodded at the emperor's words.

"I'm staying then, until I can get Mamoru back." There was a moment of silence before the emperor spoke.

"How do you feel about him?" Usagi looked to Hotohori, her face showing honest loss. She shrugged and sighed.

"I feel a mixture of things. I love him, I honestly do but… what happened back at…" Hotohori nodded to cut her short.

"Well," she continued. "I have this mixture of hatred and confusion for him. He's loved me so much since before this, and I know that if he could only fight this, he would come back to me. But…" Usagi bowed her head a moment to frown and think of her next words. "I… I don't know how I could deal with us after what happened." She raised her head to look to the emperor with glassy eyes. "Do I have the right to hate him? Should I?" Her questions sounded so desperately pleading. Hotohori furrowed his brows, almost feeling as lost as she was.

"I…" He paused. He sighed before continuing. "Usagi, what he did was horrible. But you must remember that it was not him who did it. He is brainwashed. Not that what he did is excusable, but imagine how he would feel once we save him. I'm sure, if he loves you as much as you say he does, he will be just as horrified by what happened." He felt stupid spouting things from the tip of his tongue, but hoped that he was going somewhere with his words. "What you feel isn't selfish by any means. Anyone in your position I'm sure would feel the same way." He paused again, looking at her now watering eyes. A tear trailed down her cheek and he stood from his seat to meet her at the steps. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his forehead to hers. "What you feel is very important. You should never feel badly or apologize for how you feel. Your feelings are the most important thing about yourself. If you ignore them, you may as well be lying to yourself."

Usagi blushed at the sudden close contact, but forgot about her shyness as soon as his speech was said. She looked at the emperor now, in a sort of awe. She looked as though she'd had an epiphany.

"I shouldn't?" She almost squeaked. Hotohori smiled and shook his head.

"You shouldn't, Usagi-chan." Now that the girl thought about it, there were unspoken moments where she'd felt horrible for feeling toward Chichiri. Especially the night he'd walked in on her. She felt as though she was betraying Mamoru by feeling for him. But, her feelings were so mixed about everything that she hadn't thought on it much… she just felt badly in general. She sighed, keeping her eyes on the emperor.

"What should I do, Hotohori?" He sighed back at her, playfully mocking. This gave her a smile.

"No one can answer that but you, Usagi-chan." She frowned at this, but knew it was the truth. She reluctantly nodded. A moment later she blushed again. Until now she hadn't realized how close their faces were to each other. She was about to scoot away but was stopped short when Hotohori hooked his hand around the back of her neck, and pulled her forward to close a distance between her forehead and his lips. The gesture was both platonical and full of emotion. He wanted her to feel better, he honestly did. This made her smile, and in return she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. She thanked him for his words and went on her way. Hotohori took his seat back at his throne and shook his head with a smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Rei slapped her forehead with a groan after her meeting with the rest of the senshi. Why hadn't she thought about it before? Why hadn't _anyone_ thought about it before for that matter? She thought that perhaps Ami felt the dumbest for not having thought of it.

_"Sailor Teleport?" Rei inquired. Haruka nodded and folded her arms._

_"You've been able to do it without Sailor Moon before, why not try it now?" Rei furrowed her brows at this, feeling utterly stupid. In her upset defense she threw up her arms and opened her mouth._

_"Maybe because the place we're trying to get to doesn't exist?" She nearly shouted. Haruka gave a sideways grin. Rei quirked her brows as if to say, 'What?'_

_"You've traveled to plenty of places that don't technically exist. Don't you remember the Negaverse?" Rei paused. "It was all negative space made up by Metalia and Barel. Those spaces didn't really exist in the first place. The princess was able to do it too back then." The priestess chewed on her lip. She hadn't thought about that. Haruka was right, though. Those spaces didn't exist. Was it possible? Could they simply teleport?_

_The rest of the girls weren't around. Haruka dropped by because she was in town. Michiru waited in the car, already having discussed the topic at hand with her lover._

_After a moment of silence Haruka unfolded her arms and reached for the pair of shades in the breast pocket of her jacket._

_"Talk it over with Ami and the others?" She asked before turning to leave. Rei simply nodded, still chewing over the older woman's words._

After their talk Rei contacted Ami to ask the same question as Haruka. The blue haired girl's response was nothing more than a blush and some random mumbling. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of this herself! Wasn't she supposed to be the one with all the answers? After feeling completely brainless, she responded to Rei that she would think it over and call her back.

(-Break-)

Usagi riffled through her pack looking for something left to wear, most of her laundry was dirty now and needed a wash. She told herself that she would get to it soon enough. The last thing she had left to wear was a garment she hadn't remembered packing. Then again, that day she was pretty upset, she'd just grabbed what she could.

It was a dress, one that she'd worn only once for a party. She felt it was too fancy to wear for no reason.

The dress was a kind of rum pink with a corseted bodice. The skirt was transparent chiffon; three layers of fabric gave a modicum of modesty. The Edwardian style corset hooked in the back, which was a bit of a hassle to fasten alone, but she managed it the first time. A loop of the chiffon was sewn onto the front of the corset and swooped around the back to hang as drapes over her shoulders; the piece also covered her cleavage elegantly, despite its transparency. Silver thread was woven around the waist of her corset in a swirled kind of design. That trim also ran down the midline of the bodice meeting at waist point. It was simple but elegant.

Usagi bit her lip. _Well,_ she thought, _it's not like I have anything else to wear._

(-Break-)

"I spoke to Usagi this morning. She seemed much happier today. I think she may be getting better." Miaka thought out loud and took a seat at the edge of her bed.

Tamahome was already sitting on the bed behind her. He took her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. Miaka sighed and let her head fall back. Tamahome looked down on her with a smile and kissed her forehead.

The girl smiled a moment as he stared at her. Her face became blank as his became ardent; she knew that look.

Tamahome leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers; an upside down kiss was rather interesting. Being behind the priestess gave this seishi the advantage of easy access, and so he tickled her throat before slipping both hands under her shirt to grope her breasts. Miaka blushed mid-kiss, her breath ironically changing the instant he put his hands on her.

A red flag rose in her mind and she quickly placed her hands over his.

"Tamahome," she said almost in a panic. "You know we can't do this." Tamahome chuckled at this.

"Give me a break, Miaka." She looked puzzled. "You know we can make love without losing our virginity." At his words, the priestess turned a worse shade of red than ever before. He still had his hands over her breasts, and her hands were over his. He squeezed gently and she sucked in her breath. Her head tilted to one side and he kissed the nape of her neck before whispering in her ear. "Let me make love to you Miaka…"

(-Break-)

She decided not to wear any shoes with the gown, mainly because she only had one pair, her school shoes, and those didn't match. She took a liking to walking barefoot lately, too. It was safe enough around the palace, she thought. She also wore her brooch. It didn't exactly match, but she felt so much safer when it was with her, even if it didn't work right now.

Hotohori's words had most definitely made her feel a bit more at ease, but she still had a decision to make. She knew she was going to save Mamoru; she still loved him despite everything. How could she change her feelings after all the years they'd shared together? That wasn't going to change. But, what kind of love was this now? Was it tainted now? She didn't know. She also wasn't sure how she would feel as soon as he was saved. Perhaps it was something she would only find out when the moment came.

Chichiri came to mind and she bit her lip. She really was taking a liking to him. What would she do? She couldn't very well pursue her feelings, that would be wrong… wouldn't it? After all, it she walked down a different path, she'd be denying her daughter her existence. She couldn't live without Chibi-Usa. Despite how much they fought, neither of them could deny their love for each other.

"Chibi-Usa…" She'd stopped in the outside hall that wrapped itself around the entire palace. She was chewing on her lip again, her head bowed in thought.

"Little bunny?" A familiar voice broke her thoughts. She turned her head to face Nuriko who had a smile on his face. Usagi smiled back.

"I thought you didn't know Japanese." He shrugged.

"Miaka's been around for a while, I pick up little bits from her." Usagi nodded and before she could say another word Nuriko squealed and touched the skirt of her gown to examine. "This dress is so beautiful!" He turned her at every angle to see the entire thing, Usagi found this amusing. "I wonder if they make things like this in my size where you come from!" At this she laughed. Nuriko smiled. This was the first time he'd seen her laugh since what happened. "Are you feeling better?" Nuriko asked, his voice gentle and curious.

"Yes." It had taken her a moment to come to this conclusion, but when she decided, her voice held confidence.

"I'm glad, Usagi-chan." He took her hands in his and pecked her cheek.

"Don't think we don't care, Bunny." He smiled to reassure her that his words weren't scornful. She nodded at this. "We're always here." Usagi smiled.

_Bunny…_ She thought. _It's been so long since anyone's called me that. _The shorter nickname Buns shot through her mind and she frowned. _Mamo-chan…_

(-Break-)

Chichiri sat at the usual spot under the willow, swirling his fishing pole around the shallow water. He'd come here so much more often since Usagi fell into the picture.

He thought about the night he'd almost kissed her and was thankful that he hadn't. Not that he didn't want to kiss her, he did. But he wasn't thinking responsibly, he needed to realize how much the poor girl was going through. She had someone to love. What was he thinking? He couldn't interfere. But… she was the only girl he'd felt anything for since the flood took everything he'd ever loved.

He supposed he should have hated the water ever since, especially the rain, but he didn't. He took comfort in the rain. It brought back memories and sometimes made him melancholy, but it comforted him all the while.

Usagi stepped forward and the wind swept through the field when Chichiri turned his head to face her. His jaw dropped as he took in the sight of her. Every inch of her was flawless.

"Usagi…" he breathed. She looked down on him with a smile.

"I know." She said with a chuckle. "The dress is a bit much. It was the only thing I had left to wear though. The rest of my clothes are dirty until I can give them a wash." A silly nod was his only reply, which of course made her laugh.

"You look beautiful." He blurted out. This made her blush. "So remarkably beautiful."

"Do you really think so, Hojun?" The name caught him off guard. How could she know that name? Usagi sank to her knees and wasted no time in taking his face in her hands. He opened his mouth to speak, but her lips took his voice. He groaned in surprised, his eyes instinctively closing. She wouldn't give him a moment to pause; her lips were sealed against his.

He didn't want to fight this. It felt so wonderful, so right. He took her waist and pulled her closer. She easily made herself comfortable on his lap, managing not to break the kiss. It deepened quickly without preamble when her tongue slipped past his lips to delve into his mouth.

Butterflies swarmed in his gut when this happened. He leaned back, feeling as though he needed to. Why was she coming on to him so eagerly? This didn't seem like her style. He pushed the thought away. He didn't want to think…

They were breathless when the kiss was broken. He didn't want to stop there though. His lips found her neck and he kissed, moving to her collarbone. His fingers felt the small hooks that fastened her corset and he unbuckled them one by one.

Usagi's hands were buried in his hair when she leaned her head back. The feeling of his lips against her bare skin excited her in ways she couldn't explain. Her bodice was undone now. The only thing left to do was to let it fall. Before she did though, Chichiri reached up to pull the bobby pins from her odangoes, letting her hair fall free. She dropped her corset, but he closed his eyes, wanting to prolong the moment.

"Chichiri?" When he opened his eyes she was kneeling before him, fully clothed. It took him a moment to control his disappointment, but he managed not to frown. She smiled at him.

"Where did you go?" His cheeks colored a little.

"I'm sorry. Was I daydreaming?" He asked curiously. She nodded, her smile staying put.

"You were, I think. You had the silliest look on your face." He laughed nervously.

"Your pole!" She blurted out.

"… Huh?" His face turned red. Usagi pointed to the shore.

"Your fishing pole!" He turned to see his pole jerking from its spot, slowly inching into the water.

"Oh, no!" They both lunged for the thing, landing with an 'oof!' on their stomach, all hands latched on the pole.

"Get it, get it!" Usagi shouted through her laughter. They sat up, Usagi holding the rod securely as Chichiri reeled in his catch. The fish came to shore, flopping this way and that, fighting to get back to the water. The monk grabbed the wiggling thing and carefully pulled the hook from its mouth.

"Wow, it's huge." She thought out loud. "Is that a rainbow trout?" Chichiri nodded.

"Looks like he's about twenty inches, ya' know." Usagi's smile was so full of excitement that he found it almost strange. "You really haven't been fishing before I took you?" She shook her head. "You like it?" She nodded. She hopped up on her feet and dusted herself off.

"I'll go get some firewood!" Chichiri smiled and watched her trot off. He was glad that she was feeling better.

(-Break-)

"Well," Ami said, "It could be possible." The senshi met each other the Hikawa Shrine as usual. They sat in Rei's room drinking tea and thinking over their no plan of action.

"Well we don't know that it will work unless we try it, right?" Minako tried, looking to each of the girls. Ami nodded.

"Like Haruka said though," Makoto spoke up, her cup at her mouth. "We were able to go to plenty of places we shouldn't have been able to." Ami nodded at this. She seemed a little unsure though.

"What is it?" Michiru asked. Ami looked to her friend.

"I'm just afraid that it won't work." Rei patted her shoulder to comfort her.

"We're all worried, Ami. But if it doesn't work, we'll simply find another way."

"We're not going to blame you if it doesn't work, Ami." Haruka chimed in. Ami looked her way in surprise and then frowned. "That's what you're really worried about, isn't it?" Her frown grew before she opened her mouth.

"I don't want to let everyone down. Most of all, I don't want to let Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san down." The room kept quiet, they all seemed to feel the same way. No one wanted to screw up.

(-Break-)

The fire crackled as their small spit fell apart in the flames. Usagi had one last bite of her meal before tossing the bones in the fire. Chichiri had watched her for a while. She definitely had Miaka's appetite, but she wasn't a pig when it came to eating. He wondered why she spoke of herself so lowly sometimes. A moment later he'd tossed the remainder of the bones in the fire as well.

"You seem so much better today, Usagi-chan." He put out there. She nodded at this.

"I am." She nodded again to back up her statement. "I'm much better today." He sent her a thankful smile. The fire flickered and they looked up. The sky was cloudy and gray.

The fire died down slowly as the rain came down. It started with a light shower, and then a moment later it poured and the fire was out.

Usagi stood and stepped out from under the tree. Her arms reached out and she looked up at the sky.

"Isn't this weather great?" She asked Chichiri happily. He only nodded. "I love the rain." She twirled around a few times and then began a dance. She really was graceful, he thought. She just didn't see it.

Her beautiful gown was soaked now, the skirt clinging to her long limbs. The monk got hot under the collar at this. Her skirt could be seen through completely, but she hardly noticed this while she played. He could see her undergarment and for a moment, he smirked. So, she made sure it all matched, eh? Whoa, what kind of a thought was that? Chichiri shook his head to try and rid the thought. He couldn't remember ever thinking so defiantly. He tried to remind himself that such thoughts were ill mannered, but he smiled again. He stood and dusted himself off.

The loud clap of a thunderbolt sounded through the field and Usagi squealed and ran back under the tree, rushing into Chichiri's arms. She buried her face in his chest, trembling.

"What's wrong?" He asked, quirking his head to one side.

"I hate thunder!" The monk chuckled. At this Usagi timidly peeked up at him.

"It's only thunder, ya' know. There's nothing to be afraid of." The booming clap echoed through the field again, louder than before. She cried out and hid her face again. He chuckled again and she calmed down a bit. He ran his hand down her soaked hair to sooth her. He was almost as drenched as she was; the willow only helped a little bit. She hadn't stopped trembling, so he wrapped his arms around her. Slowly, he swayed side to side, humming to her. She stopped in an instant, the song he hummed sounded dangerously close to the tune that played in her star locket.

"Where do you know that song?" She whispered. He still rocked her, his arms secured around her. It was going to be hard letting her go.

"I just know it." He replied just as quietly as her. The symbol she'd seen in the book before she disappeared flashed in her thoughts, and like before, she cried.

"Hojun…" She whispered. He stopped dead in his movements and looked down at her. She faced him, her eyes glassy. Tear tracks lined her cheeks until the rain smeared them away. Her eyes were that deep cobalt again.

"How do you know that name?" Her tears flowed uncontrollably, but her face wasn't filled with sadness. He couldn't place that look… did she feel safe?

"I just know it." She mocked unintentionally. Chichiri laughed.

"You're mocking me." She smiled up at him and shook her head.

"No…" Her smiled faded and her expression changed. His heart skipped a beat. That was the same look she gave him in his mind. How was he supposed to register that? A million things raced through his mind about what he should do. He knew he couldn't kiss her for obvious reasons, but he wanted to. A voice in his head commanded him to stop, what he wanted to do was wrong. It was all wrong! He couldn't have what he wanted, never; this girl was not for him. She was taken, and she loved who had her.

Despite his thoughts, his head bowed slowly, his face inching closer. He wanted so badly to feel her lips against his. But he was only going to make things harder for her if he kissed her.

_Stop!_ His mind shouted, and with a mental sigh, he froze. 'I'm sorry' was what he thought he said out loud before he slowly inched away. She wasn't getting any further away though. He was backing away, wasn't he?

They kissed. _What have you done?_ His mind kept shouting, but it was drowned out by the act. Usagi threw her arms around his neck, standing on her toes. Her lips were so soft against his, better than he'd imagined. Her lips parted and she pulled him closer. He couldn't explain the feeling he had when the kiss deepened, he almost felt like he was going to faint. He never felt this way back then…

Her tongue apprehensively tickled his lower lip; she didn't want to seem too forward. He replied by abruptly turning the kiss from timid to fervent, his tongue tasting hers. She suddenly felt so weak, her knees begging to give way. Her heart was pounding, she meant to catch her breath, but she moaned instead. The kiss died down slowly until they were back to a simple shy action. Their lips parted and he finished by giving her a final gentle peck.

Usagi let out an unsteady sigh. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes a brighter shade of blue. He simply stared at her, too stuck in the moment to be shy. She was so beautiful, especially when she looked like this. It reminded him of the night he walked in on her. The thought made him smile. She smiled back and rested her head against his chest. Her arms fell from around his neck to secure around his waist and she hugged him tightly.

_What now…?_ She thought, fighting not to frown. Chichiri's grip around her suddenly tightened so harshly that she had to look at him for an explanation.

"Ow, Chichiri, what's wro…" His face was pale he gasped with a jerk. The girl's eyes widened in fright. "What's wrong?" She demanded in a panic. His grip on her loosened and he lost all color. He collapsed against her and Usagi cried out. She did her best to lay him down carefully and at once she saw what was wrong. A pool of darkness slowly faded from his chest and she panicked. "Oh, God…" Her eyes darted all over her surroundings, searching frantically for something.

"Up here." Called a stranger. Usagi shot her gaze upward and spotted a small girl relaxing in the branches. She couldn't have been a day over eleven, her hair came down to her waist in fiery locks, her eyes dark as night. She carelessly held a pure heart in her hand. "Is this what you're looking for?" Usagi jumped to her feet, her brows furrowed in furious apprehension.

"Give it back!" Was all she could say. The little girl almost laughed at her tone.

"Do you _really_ want it?" Usagi only glared, her hands balled into fists. The girl shrugged.

"Okay. Fetch!" She threw the crystal near the lake just as carelessly as she had held it, smiling at the blonde girl's panic.

"No!" Usagi jumped from her spot and ran after the falling object.

"Hurry, hurry! It's going to break!" The little girl shouted, almost gushing with excitement. The crystal came plummeting through the air nearing the water and her heart stopped when she realized how far away she was; she wasn't going to make it. The crystal hit the water and Usagi stopped, now white as a ghost. She looked back at Chichiri, who was still motionless. Without sparing another moment she jumped into the lake. She swam to the bottom, kicking her arms and legs furiously to move faster. Where was it? Her heart pounded so horrendously that she couldn't hold her breath for much longer. She had to calm down.

She peered around in the murky water, looking this way and that. A glimmer of something caught the corner of her eye, and without thinking she made her way in that direction. To her relief it was the crystal. She spared no time, snatched it and swam to shore. When she surfaced she gasped for air, now hyperventilating she was in such a panic.

She hurried to the monk and fell to her knees before him, the crystal in her grip. She held the pure heart over his chest and slowly his color came back as the crystal sank back into its rightful place. Usagi breathed a sigh of relief and caressed his cheek.

"Chichiri, wake up… please wake up." Her voice was calm now, but still concerned. The little girl jumped from her perch in the willow and made a graceful landing behind the couple.

"Oh, that was fun! You should have seen yourself! I thought I was watching a soap opera, you're such a drama queen." Usagi turned to face the red head with a scowl on her face. She examined her nails with little interest. "He did have a pure heart, but I didn't see what I needed. Perhaps you have what I need." With a confident grin the girl lunged forward in a flash, slamming Usagi against the trunk of the willow. She caught her neck; the girl's nails digging into her throat. Usagi choked from her grip, writhing like a worm on a hook. The small girl grit her teeth, an animalistic look in her eyes. Her nails slowly grew longer and sharper, her grip savagely intensified and a piercing pain shot through Usagi's throat. She coughed and a speckle of red splattered on the girl's cheek. She smiled at this, licking the spot away. "Now you die, I can't wait to taste your blood. You'd better have the talisman." She reared her free arm back, ready to strike. Usagi closed her eyes, tears racing down her cheeks. She couldn't breathe and that strange coppery taste fill her mouth as she spit up more blood. Her assailant plunged her arm forward and in an instant her chest was run through. This was the end, she thought, and Usagi fell asleep.

**Hello my darlings! I'm sorry about this chapter, it's written a little hastily. I only have a certain amount of time on the computer now (not my pc), so I've been racing through the story to get my thoughts down. I will revise this though! But I wanted to at least put this up for now. What do you think? Hehe, don't you just love cliff hangers?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey there everyone! I'm sorry that I haven't posted in such a long time. I kind of got caught up in life, and to be honest, I kind of lost my muse for a little while. ; Just a little, hehe. I hope you enjoy this new bit. It's not much, and I don't think my words flowed very well, but I'd like your opinion, whatever it may be! Take care dears!**

"Why are the heart snatchers in the book?" Haruka wondered aloud while chewing at her thumbnail. Michiru stood behind her and ran her hands over her lover's shoulders.

"Are we going to go soon?" A moment later Haruka nodded and turned around, book open in her palm. Michiru eyed the picture of their princess lying in bed. Without thinking she ran her fingers gently over the image. "She'll be alright. She's always been strong." She smiled at her lover with confidence. "Let's just get ready."

"My kitten…" Haruka whispered to the picture of her princess.

(-Break-)

"Usako…" Usagi wept in her dark corner, not knowing what else to do. She was tired of all her thinking, she was tired of crying too, but she couldn't help herself. Mamoru kneeled before her, sweeping a hand through her long pigtail.

"I'm sorry, Mamo-chan." She whimpered, quickly wiping away her tears. There really was no point though; they continued to flow. Mamoru nodded in understanding.

"I know, Usako." He looked so pained all of a sudden; he let his head fall forward. "I'm sorry, too." She stopped sobbing and looked at him. "I'm so sorry!" Mamoru flung himself forward and held her tight. Usagi was taken aback; she'd never seen Mamoru act this way before in her life. His arms were wrapped around her waist, his head pressed against her chest. This hug was pathetic, the way he was hunched over seemed like he was begging for mercy more than embracing her. He convulsed little by little with every tear he shed. Usagi had been frozen for this moment, in a sort of shock. After a moment her hands rested over his arched back.

"Mamo-chan…" His grip around her tightened and she instinctively pulled him closer.

"I saw it all." He whispered, his sobs on hold. Usagi's heart sank. "I didn't want to, Usagi. My mind was in complete control, but I couldn't stop myself. I screamed for it to stop. Why couldn't I stop? If I can still think independently, how can they have control over me?" She couldn't keep quiet any longer. Her sobs were hysterical now, and she gripped the back of his shirt almost angrily. She couldn't be angry with him though, not now that she knew the truth. After what seemed like a good hour of waling from the both of them, she calmed and wiped her eyes to face him. He saw the confusion in her face; he knew this wasn't going to be easy. He wondered if he could even patch this up. Even if he could, he'd scarred her for life. He had been scarred as well though, he wondered if she realized that.

"I know I may not show it at times, but Usako, I love you. You know that, don't you?" She nodded, breathing in to calm her nerves. "Do you love me?"

"Yes, Mamo-chan." She nodded again. He held his breath for a moment before asking his next question.

"How? How do you love me now? Now that this has happened…?" She was silent and completely unprepared for such a question. He didn't need an answer, not right now. He was afraid of her answer, anyhow.

"What about Chibi-Usa? I feel like our future is so shady now. Are we falling apart, Mamo-chan?" He frowned again and took her hands in his.

"I don't know…" Usagi sat up, squeezing his hands.

"She has to be, Mamo-chan! I can't live without her; she's too precious to me!" He nodded, feeling just a bit more hurt than before.

"I love her just as much as you do." His words should have sounded scornful, he thought, but they were only devastated.

"I know, Mamo-chan." She took his cheek, her hand softly caressing his face. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and placing his hand over hers.

"Usako… I love you." He leaned in to prove his words with a tender kiss and Usagi quickly wrapped her arms around her love, not knowing when she'd have this opportunity again. She held him so tightly that when he disappeared her arms strictly closed the space he left.

"Mamo-chan…" Her eyes welled up once again. "DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"Usagi?" Tasuki asked tentatively while she thrashed under her covers.

She opened her eyes lazily and smiled weakly at her friend. She spoke, but her voice wasn't there. It was easy to read her lips though; 'Fang boy…' His eye twitched and he folded his arms.

"I'll let that one slide since you're so pathetically bed ridden, Odango!" Her laughter didn't last long, as it agitated her throat; she coughed and abruptly sat up. Tasuki was on the bed in a flash, rubbing at her back. "Here," he mumbled and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. The snow-white cloth stained crimson as he wiped her mouth clean.

"Why is my throat so sore?" Usagi whispered, her voice raspy. The mountain bandit showed her a look she hadn't seen on him before; it was anxiety.

"We found you and Chichiri under the willow tree near the lake. It looked like Chichiri had just passed out, but your throat and mouth were just…" He looked to the ceiling for a split second. "Overflowing." He paused again, hands on his knees. "I think that if we'd waited any longer, you would have drowned in your own blood." His composure was cunningly held together, but his body language said otherwise.

Tasuki pulled a flask from his back pocket and took a swig. He then looked to his friend and with a smirk offered her the flask. "Want a drink?" She eyed the thing derisively but to the bandit's surprise she snatched the flask from his hand and guzzled half the container.

"Heh…" He took the flask back. "Thirsty?" Her reply was a croaky cough and a quick nod of her head.

"Itches." She whispered. Tasuki scoffed and stuffed the flask away.

"Alcohol will do that to a raw throat." His brows furrowed when she placed a weak hand over his knee.

"What about Chichiri, is he okay?" The concern in her face made her look vulnerable. Tasuki nodded.

"He's alright, Usagi." There was a moment of silence. "You know… Mitsukake tried to heal you." He still sat on the bed, and for a brief moment he mindlessly brushed a finger against one of the small puncture wounds over her throat. She stiffened, the wounds still sensitive.

"Tried?" She rasped. He nodded.

"Obviously it didn't work."

"Obviously." She mocked. Tasuki flipped her off and she smiled. "Love you too, Tasuki-te." He rolled his eyes with a smile, not quite used to such comments. It made him happy, though. He figured he'd warm up to it and all of his friends' care eventually. Her gaze shifted and she stared off into nothing. "I wonder why it didn't work…" She pondered out loud. Tasuki's brows furrowed and a moment later he sighed. He patted her hand before he stood. He hesitated a few beats and then pecked her cheek.

"Get better, Usagi." She smiled again, still whispering, but playful nonetheless.

"Awe, Tasuki-san, I had no idea you were so compassionate." He turned and moved to the door.

"Shut up, Odango." He said, his back to her as he wagged his finger at her. She chuckled and closed her eyes.

The door latched and the healer greeted Tasuki. The ex-bandit leaned against the wall and folded his arms.

"Well?" Mitsukake said.

"She was having a nightmare before she woke." Tasuki mentioned focusing on a loose floorboard in the wood paneling.

"What about?"

"That creep Mamoru. I don't know why she wastes her tears over him."

"You don't even know him, Tasuki."

"Neither do you. For all we know he could have treated her just as badly even before he was brainwashed." He kicked at the board idly and it jarred out of place.

"This reminds me of how you thought of Tamahome before you met him." Tasuki sent him a glare of warning but then shrugged.

"Whatever…" He mumbled.

"I suppose it's just your way." The older man mentioned, seeming to think more than speak directly to him. Tasuki looked up at him in question.

"For someone who grew up with nothing but sisters, your attitude fits you well. You're very protective of women; you're so quick to judge." Tasuki quirked his brow at him with a glare. Mitsukake shrugged and turned to walk off.

"That's just an observation though."

"They treated me like shit, I hate women!" He retorted to the healer as he disappeared down the hall.

(-Break-)

The senshi stood in a circle; hands clasped and ready to chant. "Is everyone ready?" Uranus made sure. When each girl reassured her she bowed her head. "Everyone, think of our prince and princess, and only them. Don't let anything else sidetrack you."

The atmosphere grew tense as gravity tried pull them down rather than lift them up; usually during the teleporting process they became weightless. Mars grit her teeth from the pressure weighing her down. It was getting difficult to breathe.

Distracted whimpers and complaints faintly echoed from one girl to the next and Uranus furrowed her brows. "Focus!" Was the only command she sounded. Each girl snapped her head back down in meditation. Each girl tried their hardest, but the more they tried to focus, the more gravity pulled them.

"Sailor…" They began, and slowly each girl's respective color emanated from her. The gravity instantly intensified and the cement beneath them was now indented in the shape of the circle they formed. Various cries were heard and again it was Uranus who spoke.

"Don't… give up. Try to keep… your focus." She said in between desperate gasps for air. The force was brutal and their legs were buckling. "Don't give up!" She grasp on her partners tightening.

"Teleport!" Mercury cried out after their final call and her legs gave way, forcing her mercilessly to the ground with a loud thud. The last thing she saw before the girls vanished was Venus' horrified stare. The instant the girls were gone the weight had lifted.

Mercury looked from side to side before pathetically gathering herself up to sit. The corners of her mouth twitched before her lips formed her frown. Her eyes were already full of tears, and the moment she opened her mouth her tears fell.

(-Break-)

Mars appeared before a bright blue sky and smiled. "We did it!" She cheered to her comrades. She investigated the landscape beneath her and saw that she was several hundred feet above what looked to be the Konan palace. "We made it, everyone!" She turned around but no one was there to greet her. At this she grew worried. Her feeling of weightlessness suddenly disappeared and the red glow that accompanied her left along with it. "Oh…" she paled as her descent began, "shit!" Mars flapped her arms in mindless panic, but quickly abandoned that plan the closer she came to painfully smashing through the palace. _Think Rei, think!_

The only thing she could think of was to avoid hitting the roof, so an instant later she readied her arms and screamed, "Flame Sniper!" Her flaming arrow blazed through the shingles and plaster a moment before she crashed through. So instead of crashing through the solid roof, she collided into a pile of broken clay, splintered wood and crumbling plaster.

A full minute passed before she attempted to move. She could barely turn her head, much less lift herself up. She coughed weakly and managed to spit out bits of teeth. The air swept around her as her fuku disappeared and she grunted in agony.

"Score one… roof… zero… Rei." She mumbled under her breath before her vision blurred into darkness.

(-Break-)

Minako opened her eyes to find she was floating through a familiar dark void. The place the senshi soared through every time they teleported. They would be linked in a circle, flying through and concentrating on their destination, but now she was the only one here. Mercury flashed through her mind and she frowned. Poor girl. She was probably blaming herself at this very moment. This thought brought back a memory from grade school and with a smile she closed her eyes.

"Minako-chan!" A tiny voice sniffled. "Those boys were so mean!"

"Hmm?" She opened her eyes to look at her speaker.

"How can you be so confident?" The girl had short brown hair and big violet eyes. Mina's own eyes widened in realization.

"K… Kanno-chan?" The ten year old girl quirked her head to the side in confusion. Nostalgia hit her hard at the sight of her first best friend and she threw her arms around the girl. "Kanno-chan! You look so adorable! I can't believe you're here, we haven't seen each other in ages!" Kanno blinked and patted her friend's head.

"I think your bow is on too tight, Minako-chan." The girl's words made her come to her senses and she laughed dumbly.

"Haha! Good one, Kanno-chan!" She took in her surroundings and subconsciously slapped a hand over her head. _How did I get here?_

(-Break-)

Michiru let herself float along the cold salt water tides, the feel of the water soothing as ever. Above her the sky was dark and the stars were endless. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was the most at ease she felt for a while. She hadn't felt this way since Usagi fell into the book. She shot up in the water with a start. _Princess!_

"My lady." Michiru snapped her head back to see her guest at the shore of the beach. She looked familiar somehow. She curtsied gracefully and lowered her gaze to show respect. "Princess Haruka of Uranus has come for a visit." She was confused as ever for the longest moment, trying to figure out this moment, but decided to swim to shore first. She emerged from the water bare, though she didn't look bashful. She'd kept her cool quite easily. The young girl shook off the turquoise over coat she wore and slung it over her princess' shoulders. "Shall I let Lady Haruka know that you're here?" Michiru shook her head.

"No, have her meet me in my chambers." She then leaned forward and pecked her servant on the cheek. "Thank you, Chiyo." The girl blushed a moment and then smiled.

"Will do, my lady." With a quick nod she turned on her heel and made her way to the castle entrance.

Michiru now stood in her room wearing the old familiar gown she'd adorned centuries ago. She gave herself a spin in her vanity mirror and smiled at her image. She still managed to keep her figure after all this time. The large double doors to her bedroom slowly creaked open and in stepped Haruka in her old attire. Michiru took in the sight of her lover and gave her a satisfied grin. Haruka approached her and looked down on her with a smile.

"It's been such a long time since I've seen you in a dress, Haruka." The princess of Uranus quirked her brow in slight confusion.

"What are you talking about? I've always worn a dress, silly." Michiru blushed at this, forgetting her situation but fought quickly to get back into character. Haruka chuckled. "You look so cute when you blush." She snaked her arm around Michiru's waist and casually pulled her forward. Their lips met and it only took a second for the moment to become heated. Haruka's hand traveled up the length of her love's spine and buried her fingers in her hair. Their kiss broke and Michiru teasingly licked her partner's bottom lip.

"Mmm. As delicious as ever." Haruka grinned and nipped the girl's lip mockingly. Michiru was most certainly worried about Usagi and her current situation, but she couldn't resist playing the part while she was here. Seeing the old Haruka again reminded her why she fell in love with her.

(-Break-)

Makoto sat at the coffee table in deep thought with her chin resting in her palms. _How did I end up back home?_ A knock at the door had her on her feet and her thoughts on hold when she greeted her visitor.

"Aki." She said in surprise. "What are you doing here?" The man at the other side of the door had hazelnut hair that was held back in a loose ponytail. Wisps of his hair strayed from his hair band and draped at the sides of his face. Behind the thin curtain of bangs were his devious gray eyes. Makoto smiled back in a stupor.

"You gonna' let me in?"

(-Break-)

Haruka settled carefully and quietly crouched on the hard floor on a dimmed room. The dark blue glow that swarmed her during the teleportation process slowly faded until gone. She stood and took in her surroundings. The first thing that caught her eye was the glimmer of a golden object. She made her way toward the thing and let her jaw drop a bit as she took in the sight.

The solid gold monument loomed over her in regal stature, the bird was magnificent, much more than she'd imagined when she read. Enough time had passed gawking and she nodded to herself.

"Suzaku, good. I'm in the right place." But where were the others? They must have been in another part of the palace. She turned around to face the large double doors ahead of her. Once she was outside she saw a row of doors that went on probably to the other end of the palace. She sighed. "Where to look first?" She whispered to herself.

(-Break-)

"What was that?" Hotohori stood from his seat and opened his ears, everyone else silent.

"It sounded like a crash." Chiriko noted, now standing from his work.

Usagi stirred in her sleep at the sound of a ruckus and slowly her eyes fluttered open. Her hand made its way to her throat to idly brush her fingers against her scabbed wounds. It still stung a bit, but it was getting better. What was that noise anyway? Maybe she just dreamt the noise. Still, she sat up and swung her feet over the edge of the bed and stretched. She wondered how long she'd been asleep, but disregarded it after a moment.

The floor was cold beneath her feet so she took a moment or two before standing from her spot. She opened the door to walk down the hallway but remembered she was in her pj's. She turned back around to eye her satchel but only sighed. That's right; she hadn't done her laundry yet. She shrugged; at this point it didn't matter.

She made her way down the hall, having no idea where she'd start looking since she couldn't decipher which way the noise had come from. The sun was warm today. It shown brightly beating down on her tangled locks. God, she should have brushed her hair before coming out. She heard a familiar voice shouting out something, it sounded like Nuriko. What was she saying? She kept walking, but carefully listened if she shouted again.

"Help her up!" Nuriko said again. Usagi furrowed her brows at this and suddenly quickened her pace. She rounded a corner carelessly and slipped on a piece of plank wood. She quickly tumbled over, skidding a ways before she stopped. She mumbled something colorful under her breath and got back on her feet. Debris was scattered about the floor of the hallway, leading into the bedroom in front of her that held the scource of it all. She stepped through the archway and gaped, not because of the mess, but because of who was in it.

"Rei-chan!" Her voice was horse, but she somehow managed a screech. She lunged through the crowd of the Suzaku seishi and gathered Rei in her arms.

"Usagi, be careful!" Mitsukake scolded. "We don't know how badly hurt she is. You shouldn't…" None of this was getting through to her; even so, he was cut off by the emperor shaking his head. The healer knelt before the pair, Usagi now hysterical. He placed a calming hand atop her shoulder and looked her in the eye. "It'll be okay, let me heal her and she'll be fine." The girl sniffled a bit and soon nodded her head. Rei was passed on to Mitsukake who then proceeded to mend her wounds.

The first thing that came back to her was her hearing. There was a clutter of many different voices mumbling in concern, but one of course was louder than the rest. Her eyes remained closed as her leader yelped yet another time. She furrowed her brows at the girl's annoying whines.

"Rei-chan! Oh my God she's dead! She's not waking up! REI-CHAN!" Suddenly her eyes shot open and she sat up in a fury, fists ready.

"God I'm awake! Why do you have to be so annoying Odango-atama?!" The crowd fell silent and awkward as Usagi frowned, eyes welling.

"I'm sorry-y-y-y!" She wailed. "I was only concerned for you!" She blubbered, a small puddle now building up between the two girls. Rei sighed and rubbed her temples.

"I always knew that crybaby was still in there somewhere." She mumbled, glaring at her friend. A moment passed and they both smiled and embraced.

(-Break-)

Mitsukake's hands hovered around Usagi's neck as she patiently sat at the edge of her bed. Rei, who was now fine, sat next to her best friend, keenly eyeing the healer's work. The soft glow of emerald seeped from the very palms of his hands while the girl's wounds shrank away until there was only one vague scar left across her Adams apple; that wound had been the largest. He'd have been able to take it away completely if he'd gotten to her sooner, but her will was weighed down then. Most people never realized it, but emotion and the mind played a big role when it came to healing; not just the body. Depression displayed that fact very clearly.

Chichiri walked into the room to check on the healer's work. His gaze lingered on Usagi's neck, her chin was raised by his touch and her cheeks colored. Rei grinned widely at the monk and leaned forward.

"Ah, this is Chichiri, eh?" She questioned excitedly. "He's even better looking than I imagined!" At this Usagi blushed all the more. Chichiri turned to look at her friend, a bit bashful himself. "But that mask," she curled her lip. "Take it off, I want to see!" Rei reached for his face and the monk jumped back with a start. The fiery girl jumped to her feet and reached after him again.

"Hey, stop that ya' know. I wear this mask for a reason!" He swung his staff at her lightly, to ward her away, but she simply pushed it aside without a care.

"I know that, but I want to see what you 'really' look like! Come on!" Usagi's brows furrowed at this, but she could only watch, laughing uneasily at the situation.

"Get away! It isn't something you can look at whenever you want, you're being rude, ya' know!" Rei chuckled.

"You act as if it's a private part."

"It IS a private part!" She laughed at this.

"It's not like I'm asking you to show me your penis!" Both Usagi and Chichiri froze. The girl's face light a brilliant shade of red; the monk's did as well, but luckily the mask was able to hide it.

"Rei! How could you say such a thing? You're being rude!" She grinned in her direction.

"You're just embarrassed because you're imagining it now." Usagi squealed in embarrassment and shook her head furiously in objection.

"No! That's not it!" Rei laughed un-regrettably at her friend's discomfort. The poor thing looked like she was about to cry. Chichiri on the other hand had run off before this obnoxious girl could pry further.

(-Break-)

"Your highness!" Hotohori stood from his seat in the throne room as two of his guards dragged a young woman to the foot of the stairs. One guard yanked at the woman's arm to have her straighten her posture; she only raised her head. "We found this one skulking through the palace halls." Haruka's eyes met the emperor's and the man quirked a brow. Her outfit was stranger than any of Miaka's, but what really caught his eye was how she looked.

"You…" he murmured. She still wore her fuku; otherwise everyone probably would have mistaken her for a man. She straightened her posture as he eyed her. The guards only looked confused. "You look a little bit like Miaka's friend. Are you from her world as well?" She angrily yanked her arms from either guard with a distasteful glare. They attempted to take her again but paused as the emperor raised his hand.

"I have no idea who Miaka is, but to answer your question, yes I am." She gracefully sank to one knee and lowered her head in respect. "I'm only here for one reason highness, and that is for Usagi."

Hotohori's curiosity melted away with a smile and he nodded. He looked to his men and shooed them away politely. He made his way beside her and touched her shoulder. "Come."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello there everyone! I've been away for a while, haven't I? I hate not having the internet.**

**Well, let me first say that I am dedicating this chapter to a dear reader, Usagi Tenou for her encouraging words.**

**Thank you Sapphire11224, koldy, Usagi Tenou, DivineLust, Eternalmoonprincess, lil-saturn-goddess, Tsuki no Echo, graydevilforever, ElberethUndomiel, Kyo-Luvs-me-the-most, vynnessia, CM Aeris Queen of Insanity, Delphine Pryde, Dragon7, Kahuri-chan, Kurropoi Kitsune, Shizuka Eien, Slightly Wicked, Sulianna, Xaxy, elendurdarkstar, and midlight bunny for reading and your lovely reviews (I really hope I didn't forget anyone). I thank the rest of the readers as well, you're truly wonderful! Without you guys, I really would not have continued with this story. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, darlings!**

Usagi's bedroom door creaked open to the sight of her good friend Hotohori, followed surprisingly by Haruka. The girl's face lit up at the site of her. Uranus stepped through the threshold with a smug grin. "Hello my kitten." The corners of her mouth formed an ecstatic smile and she jumped to her feet.

"Haruka!" She threw herself at the older woman, her head nuzzling against the woman's chest. "I missed you so much!" A gloved hand ran through Usagi's golden locks before placing a tender kiss atop her head.

"I missed you too my kitten." Usagi smiled up at the woman, her eyes brightly colored.

"I miss hearing you call me that." She smiled and quirked her head to the side with a giggle.

"I'm sure that you three have much catching up to do," Hotohori interjected for a moment. "There will be a banquet this evening for our new guests; I hope your stay is comfortable. We'll figure out the rest afterward." He then made his exit with a graceful bow. Haruka quirked a brow at this.

"He's quite accommodating for someone who doesn't even know us." She noted in a strange tone.

"He trusts you both." Usagi said happily. She looked back to the girl she held.

"Is that so?" She nodded up at Haruka, her smile still apparent.

"Because you're my friends." Haruka had to smile now as well. In the book, these people had taken such good care of her; good people.

"Where are the others?" Haruka questioned, now scanning the room. Rei stepped through the door, rubbing at her damp hair with a white towel.

"I haven't seen the others." She stated plainly as she walked by the outer soldier. The woman had to quirk her head in question. Rei plopped down on the edge of the bed, wringing her hair out with the towel. "We all should have ended up in the same place." Haruka pinched the bridge of her nose, now frustrated from realization.

"We all let go." Rei stopped playing with her hair to listen fully now.

"Our hands?" She asked. Haruka nodded. "But you and I got here okay. They should have to."

"Unless they were thinking of something else." Usagi pulled herself from the older woman's embrace to look up at her.

"What are we talking about?" Rei sighed and shook her head.

"The sailor teleport, odango-atama." The blonde girl shot her fiery friend a scowl and she simply sneered back. "Where could they be then?"

"I don't know," Haruka said, thoughtlessly stroking Usagi's long pigtail. "They could be anywhere by now." She stepped away from her friend completely now, worry etched in her face.

"How will we find them? What if they're in trouble? This is all my fault! If I hadn't fallen into the book none of you would have…" Haruka placed a gloved finger over the worried girl's lips.

"You don't worry about this. Rei and I can figure this out. You have enough to worry about. Shh, don't interrupt. Worrying will not change the fact that what's happened has happened. Our princess needs to stay level headed." With her last words she tickled the bottom of Usagi's chin with a comforting smile. The blonde girl stayed silent for a few moments before finally nodding.

Rei finished with her hair and easily flipped it off to the side. She left her spot and placed her hands on Usagi's shoulders, facing her back. "It'll be okay Usagi." She rested her chin on her shoulder. She let the moment linger long enough to let her friend know she was genuine… but afterward she had to break the ice. "Let's head off to dinner now. That Chichiri guy ran away which is very unsporting, and I still have some questions I'd like answered!" She tapped the girl's backside teasingly before heading for the door, Usagi's face red as a beet. Haruka could only sigh.

"Haruka…" The raven haired girl called before stepping out. "You should change back." The older woman stared at her speaker for a moment, confused. "You don't want to walk around in your sailor form forever, do you? Besides… I think we can trust them enough with this. After all this is ancient China, they don't know anything about the sailor senshi. For all they know you're just… dressed up." She was hoping her words made sense; she didn't think she was going for a long shot. It seemed to make enough sense. No one from this era would know, right? After a long pause for thought Haruka nodded with a somewhat uncertain smile.

"I suppose your right." She clutched the pendant between her breasts and the air swept around her before her respective glow engulfed her uniform, slowly fading until her everyday clothes were replaced. "Let's go then."

(-Break-)

"The Priestess and maiden sat together, their friends at their side, old and new. Different courses were placed as stories passed around the table." Ami frowned and turned the page. She still felt badly about breaking the connection. After skimming through the banquet she closed the book and rested her chin in her hand. Where _could_ the others have gone? Did it really depend on what they were thinking at that exact moment? If this was true… Ami's eyes widened as her thoughts ran amuck.

Ami searched through her school bag until she picked out her mini comp. She tapped for a half a second and the screen cut to snow. She heaved an exaggerated sigh and tapped at the keys again. A moment later the snow stopped for a half a beat. It looked like one of the girls. It'd happened to quickly to tell though. Ami starred the thing down, as if looking long enough would change the screen. It did, and it was Mina. She smiled and opened her mouth. She noticed something before she spoke though. Something was different about her. She looked younger. A lot younger.

"Ami?" The voice on the other end spoke. Ami raised her brows. Wow. "Ami, can you hear me?" She tilted her head to the side, looking curious. Mina rolled her eyes. "I can see you, you know."

"What happened?" She was younger! God, by how much? What on earth was going on?

"Um, I don't really know. After we teleported, no one was with me. Probably because we…" Ami nodded before she could finish; she nodded back. "Well, after that, I ended up here." She blew at her bangs. "And now look at me! I don't know what in the hell has happened. I just don't get it." Ami sweat dropped. "How were you able to get a hold of me? I didn't think you'd be able to, what with where I am and all." Ami shrugged. Really it was just luck. She didn't think it'd work either. A moment passed and Ami told Mina about what was going on in the book and about Haruka's idea on the matter. Mina nodded, looking tentative. "Am I the only one gone?"

"I don't know yet. You're the first one I was able to reach." Mina nodded.

"So, what can we do to get back?"

"I haven't gotten that far yet. Keep your communicator close though, okay? I'll try and reach you again when I've thought of something." Minako nodded. "Oh, and one more thing. How did you get so young?" The little girl on the other end frowned, looking ready to cry.

(-Break-)

Yui leaned against the wall as she sat at the head of her bed. She wore her purple robe, her legs bare. Her arm was propped up on her bend knee as she starred into Shin, Tomo's shell. A moment later she curled her lips in disgust. "Look at her. She's just so content with him." Mamoru stood at the foot of the bed, looking hollow.

"Who are you referring to?" Tomo inquired from the corner nearest her bed. He approached her.

"Tamahome, of course." Yui answered bitterly.

"Oh, I see. It seems you need to clarify these days, seeing as you've taken the habit of stealing other women's men. For a moment there I'd thought you'd grown jealous of this rabbit's new love and wanted to take him as well." He could see the distain in her eyes as she scowled at him. She was filled with so much hatred. She snapped Shin shut and aimlessly threw the tiny thing back in the seishi's direction. He caught it easily without a flinch. "Did I strike a nerve, Lady Yui? I was only trying to make a point."

"Get out." Yui pointed to the door, her tone spiteful. Tomo carelessly bowed by a nod of his head and made his way out, grinning all the while.

"I'm sure Mamoru will cheer you up." Tomo hurried the rest of the way down the hall as her screams drew nearer. She'd obviously jumped out of bed. Her door slammed and the noise echoed throughout the palace. Still he grinned. He so loved taunting her.

Originally Tomo was on his way to Nakago's quarters, but since Yui's was on the way, he'd decided to make a quick side stop. He despised the girl to the very core, and since he couldn't hurt her physically, he'd taken to hurting her emotionally. It wasn't quite as good as doing away with her, but it had to do. Nakago wanted her to stay. Tomo scoffed, still walking down the hall. Why did he want her so badly, anyway? He knew she was the priestess, but he'd treated her much more caringly than he'd liked. He bit his lip, smearing his delicately painted flesh. "Bitch," he mumbled. She'd managed to take Nakago away from him. She didn't deserve his attention; she didn't deserve anyone's!

He stopped at his Lord's chambers and rapped on the door. Silence. He raised his hand again, but a voice held him in place; "Enter." Tomo did so and carefully closed the door behind him. Nakago stood, bear back facing his guest. He fastened the sash around the waist of his pants. Tomo bit at his lip again as his hands fumbled at his sides. Seeing Nakago like this always made him fidgety. The blonde man glanced over his shoulder, eyes impatient.

"I was wondering, Lord Nakago…" The man's head turned away as Tomo spoke. "Why… we aren't doing anything."

"About what?" Nakago's tone was blank.

"About these Suzaku fiends!" His voiced raised an octave as his hand gestured outside. "Why are we simply sitting here as if we have nothing to do? She has all of her fellow warriors, and now there are more! This silly rabbit is trouble, I tell you. She may even aid the priestess in summoning Suzaku! Is that what you want?" His words were carelessly spit out. His adrenaline rush died the moment the last sentence was uttered. As expected, Nakago turned around. Tomo swallowed hard; he hadn't meant to stir things up, but he was getting restless. He'd already been punished for the times he'd run out against his Lord's wishes. He quickly bowed his head. "F… forgive me, My Lord." Tomo pleaded, but the man didn't speak.

He walked toward him, his steps slow and discouraging. Tomo didn't consciously back up, he hadn't realized he was until Nakago had him pressed against the door. The foreigner's face was inches from his. The man drew a breath and when he exhaled Tomo relished in the feel of his warm breath against his lips. He was excited and flustered and terrified all at once. The awkward silence only made the situation worse to him.

"Are you questioning my tactics?" Tomo shook his head dumbly and Nakago smiled. "Good." He wondered what he should have done when he realized that Nakago was staying put. Why _was_ he staying put? He enjoyed the closeness, and though it didn't seem at all intimate, he also enjoyed imagining that it was. God, he was pathetic. He was still smiling; this was getting a little uncomfortable. To continue staring at him with nothing to say would make him feel even more stupid, so he lowered his eyes. The vague hint of a wicked grin graced one corner of his mouth as his eyesight focused at the lower regions of his lord's body, making him forget for a moment this incredibly awkward display. He shouldn't have stared, but he did, still grinning.

"Do I intimidate you?" His leader changed the subject. Well, sort of. Tomo looked back up at the man and eventually nodded. He did intimidate him, but probably in ways his lord wasn't aware of. Nakago was never afraid to toy with either gender. Tomo figured it gave him a sort of satisfaction. He truly was perverse if left to his own devices. Somehow though, this excited his interest in his lord even more. He personally wouldn't play with women if he didn't have to, but that was just him. All the same, it was always fun to toy with a person's head, and in certain cases, a little sacrifice was worthwhile.

"Do I frighten you?" He went on, an aggressive look in his eyes followed by a somewhat formless grin. Tomo came to know that look, and yes, it frightened him. That strange look he held at times, almost sadistic, as if he hungered to be perverse. This intrigued him as well, but it was hard to be more intrigued than downright scared. No one ever knew what Nakago would do, the first time or the next.

"You do." Tomo said clearly, lost in this reverie of thought. He didn't know quite how to depict himself at the present moment, so his face was blank. Probably that was the safest way to play it.

"Why do I frighten you?" His voice was the same as it always was; flat. But that look stayed in his eyes, which of course let others know differently. He only sounded level headed at these points. Of course he was consciously doing this. He could hide everything so easily if he'd wanted, but this was part of his game, and he enjoyed every minute of it.

"You're crazy." Tomo blurted matter-of-factly. He was afraid that might have been pushing the boundaries, but there was no truer answer. His sadistic grin broadened considerably and Tomo had to swallow. This had gone from awkward to downright unsettling.

Nakago closed the distance between them so quickly that Tomo had no time to react. The foreigner's lips pressed so forcefully against his own that it hurt. He had no idea what made his lord go into such a fit of crazed temptation, but did he ever really need a reason?

(-Break-)

Usagi held the useless brooch in her palm, looking down on it hopelessly. She sat at her bed now, conversing with the two girls. "It hasn't been working." She pointed out unnecessarily. Haruka nodded, her arms folded as she listened to the girl.

"We know that, Usagi." Rei reminded her gently, making her way to the side of the bed. She settled on the floor and rested her arm over the edge, placing her free hand over her full hand. Usagi chuckled weakly.

"Sometimes I forget that you've been reading." At this Rei gave her a short-lived smirk. Usagi wasn't sulking, she didn't look sad like she had most of her past time in the book. To be honest, she didn't wear much of any emotion. As Rei mentally analyzed her friend her head slightly tilted to one side. She looked exhausted; tired of feeling sad, angry, and guilty.

"We haven't figured out yet why you can't transform." Haruka put out. Usagi only nodded; neither had she. Rei's hand had stayed covering hers and her brooch, and now it gripped them securely.

"Don't worry, Usagi. We'll figure it out. Some of us are here now at least, and we can help you and the others fight until we can figure everything out." Again, she only nodded. She wasn't upset, just so tired.

The familiar beeping of a communicator beeped in Haruka's pocket. Usagi was amused by this. Everyone's things were still working but hers. She bit her lip. Rei listened as she heard Ami's voice fade in and out. After she repeated herself a time or two, Haruka nodded and cut the connection. The older woman looked to both girls

"Ami's going to try to reunite us here through the teleportation once again. Apparently when the circle was broken, each of the girls' concentration on this location… changed." She had a slight smirk on her face as she said this.

"I didn't hear the whole thing," Usagi said. "Where are all the girls right now?" Haruka explained where each girl had gone, and with a particularly bigger smile, explained where her lover had daydreamed herself away to. Rei couched a bit awkwardly and then rubbed at the back of her necked. Haruka quirked a brow in question.

"Okay," The raven haired girl threw her hands up. "Not all of us are interested in your 'oh so interesting' personal life." The older woman barked with laughter, hands on hips.

"You're just jealous." Rei shrugged as if to say 'whatever you say'. "When's the last time you were in a relationship?" She decided to raise the white flag at the girl's un-amused violet eyes. Both girls' communicators went off this time and Rei stood. "Okay, we're going to try and try this again; Ami's pinpointed all the girl's locations. As soon as she says so, we're going to join hands and concentrate. She stepped over to Rei and eyed Usagi when she didn't stand. "Aren't you coming, kitten?"

"My powers don't work anymore… I don't see the point." There was a short pause and then Haruka sent the girl a sympathetic look.

"Humor me, kitten." The corner of her mouth tugged into a reluctant smile. She really did love that nickname, it made her feel loved. Sluggishly she stood, and when she made her way to the girls Haruka placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "Now, let's transform." The two called out their respective words and in a moment they were transformed. A moment passed before Usagi heaved a sigh and called out. Like before, the crystal flicked but died. Usagi bit her lip as she eyed the crystal. The tension resonated from the blonde in great attempts to stifle selective words. "It's all right," Haruka said, again touching her shoulder, "Just concentrate with us. You're still the princess; you may not be able to transform, but you can still certainly do something with that thing." A moment later Usagi nodded and joined hands with the senshi.

Ami clicked away at her mini computer, all other thoughts lost to concentration. After ten minutes of tinkering she'd managed to get each of the girls on screen. She'd already transformed, her visor on. "Are you girls ready?" Each girl gave their okay and Ami stood. "Alright," she started, "since we're not all together, we need to concentrate harder than ever. Instead of concentrating on the place, this time we'll be focusing on Rei, Haruka and Usagi. I believe that we'll have a better chance at getting there by doing so. Concentrate hard now, this is our only option." Each girl had transformed and readied herself; all they waited for now was Mercury's say so. Once she gave it, they concentrated all their attention to the three in the book.

Mercury held her computer in both hands, thinking on the three as clearly as she could. 'I'm not going to screw up this time.' She assured herself mentally. 'This is for our princess!' A strong blue light overwhelmed her, and the harder she concentrated, the stronger it glowed. She rose from her spot, her toes just barely touching the floor, and soon the coffee table rose too. Shortly after everything around her that wasn't anchored to the ground rose a short distance from the floor. The light was so bright now that it would have been blinding to anyone else.

Back in the book the girls concentrated, and even though Usagi was doing so as well, she seemed to provide no results. She held the open brooch in her hand, staring down at the crystal. 'Please', she pleaded with the thing. 'Please help me!' A sudden burst of soft pink light exploded from the girl. It was so strong that her hair came undone; it felt like a tremendous gust of wind. She was afraid she'd be knocked on her ass if she hadn't been holding onto her friends. The proper words hit each of the girls at the exact moment and they called out, "Sailor Teleport!"

All seven colors mingled together as they spewed out from every knook and cranny of the palace until the performance was complete. Their feet touched the floor as gravity came back, and with a weak smile, Usagi welcomed the girls. Her knees buckled from under her and she'd blacked out before even hitting the floor.

"Usagi-chan!" Mercury jumped toward the girl, and when she fell in her arms, she collapsed as well. The two fell to the floor in an unconscious heap and the rest of the group closed in on them.

"Well that was a little taxing." Uranus sighed, looking down on the girls with apologetic eyes. Jupiter picked up her blue haired friend in an effortless swoop to place her in bed. Uranus did the same with the princess and she covered them both. Neptune followed after her love and touched her shoulder. The tall blonde turned her head to look upon her with a smile, and Neptune kissed her gingerly.

"I missed you." She whispered. This made the rugged soldier laugh. "Not too much, from what I heard." The delicate woman grinned wickedly at her partner and winked.

The group changed back, wondering what to do next when the door was flung open. "I swear," Haruka mumbled, "no one ever knocks around here." Michiru giggled and faced the new group with a stern face. Rei stepped forward and explained to the group what had just happened as best she could. She wasn't too in detail about the transforming part, or the teleportation, which of course left gaps. She realized this sounded too shady, and simply explained it as finding a way to bring the rest of the girls into the book.

Miaka stepped forward to speak. "But then, who has the book now?" The silence that followed from the miko's question was more than awkward.

"Uh," Mina laughed at their stupidity. "We hadn't really thought that far ahead… obviously." She said, twiddling her fingers in a dumb smile.

"It's still confusing though…" Miaka thought out loud. "I thought my brother had the book."

(-Break-)

The clouds looked heavy against the setting sun. The sky was dusted with gold against the horizon and a little farther off the first star had shown in what was left of the daytime sky. Usagi sat at her favorite spot under the willow, her bare toes soaking in the water of the lake. This place would most likely be the death of her. Thinking back on the close calls she had here made her smile. It was ironic how a place that gave her such peace could be at such chaos at times. Her smile faded though when she realized that it was she who brought the chaos with her. She gathered her legs up and weaved her fingers together. So maybe it wasn't as ironic as she thought. She'd been silent here for nearly an hour, and soon someone's hand settled atop her head. She looked up to find a very comforting face and soon found her smile again.

"Too crowded?" Chichiri asked as he settled beside her. She shrugged, still holding her position.

"I was only thinking." She loosened her grip and leaned back on her palms, her legs now stretched out so her feet sank into the water.

"What about this time?"

"Everything, nothing." Her reply made him laugh.

"That was specific, ya' know." Usagi laughingly nodded in response, her hair bouncing with her head. The moment had gone quickly and she was back to thinking.

"Everyone's here now." She stated plainly, her expression poignant. As she looked at him he saw that her eyes were back to cobalt. She wasn't crying; she'd gotten stronger, but through her eyes it was so easy to read what she felt. Only if someone knew her well enough, though. A complete stranger wouldn't know that she hurt when her eyes were such a color, of course. "We're going to have to start making plans."

Chichiri kept silent for that moment, not knowing really what to say in return. His thoughts wandered to Mamoru and he found himself sneering. That man was by no means deserving of her. Why did she feel she needed to save him? He'd molested the poor girl for Christ's sake. Then he remembered the Kodoku and sighed. It still wasn't an excuse though. Tamahome had managed to overcome it. If this man's love was supposedly so great for her, then why hadn't he managed the same feat? He could only take Usagi's word for his feelings, though. His own opinion was completely different. The corners of his mouth sank in a frown. She was going to save him, and then what? Be with him again? Go back to her world? Suppose she did save him. The drug wouldn't wear off. How would he overcome it? And how much did he take? Was he even as strong willed as Tamahome?

"If I've made things worse," he started, "by kissing you, please know that it wasn't my intention." Usagi's thought process stopped the instant he opened his mouth, and her attention was fully focused on the man removing his mask. "I thought that I was stopping myself that day." He said with weak laughter. "I remember telling myself to move back, and for a moment I thought I had." This brought the girl a smile.

"You did move back." She reassured him. His good eye widened as he looked at her, taken aback. He opened his mouth; the plan was to question her now. Why? Why did she kiss him? The girl sighed, her burden was growing. "Oh, this is a problem." She looked away and kicked her foot in the water, a few droplets splashing against shore. "I should be the one apologizing, Chichiri." She paused and looked back at him sincerely. "I'm not playing games though. You're the first man beside Mamoru that I've felt this strongly for." Oh boy. He was starting to feel like a temporary replacement. He placed his mask back on while she spoke. "My feelings for him have been fading, perhaps because of what's been happening." That was obvious. "My heart calls for you instead." Her choice of words froze him, made his own heart jump. He knew she wasn't lying, but it didn't help the fact that he felt like he couldn't have an honest chance with her. He felt as if he wouldn't be a genuine individual; just someone to fill in for who's truly missing. Right now though, her words echoed in his mind and gave him peace, for the time being.

"I'm toying with fate here." She said and frowned. Her feelings were at war with each other. She'd loved Mamoru for so long, but sometimes when she was alone, she wondered about the possibilities there could be if her future wasn't already set in stone. Did she only love him because she had to? No, that wasn't entirely it. Although it felt a little bit like that. Her feelings for Chichiri were different, and with that made them stronger. Why were her feelings for this man so different? She started to think on that. Though Mamoru said that he loved her, the phrase was often rare, and took her a lot of effort to get him to say. They'd been together for so long, but he always seemed to be the same way. He was always so distant. He seemed monotone when it came to caring for her. Maybe that was why her feelings for Chichiri were so different; he wasn't distant, and though he hadn't given her any three small words, she could recall times where his words were full of feeling and sincerity. She was terrified of losing Chibi-Usa, and because of that she couldn't afford to toy around like this. But she also found it hard to ignore these feelings that were eating her up. "But it might be worth it," she continued. She leaned forward now, palms against the earth as she faced him. "I'm falling for you, despite what fate had planned for me."

He felt moved, and surely he looked the same way, for he'd been silent for the longest time. Through her speech his staff had been forgotten, placed down beside him. Every word she spoke up until now seemed to be so harsh. She was only being truthful though, and for that he'd awarded her points. Maybe he wasn't a temporary fill-in. Maybe he really did have a chance. Her last words inspired him.

The moments of silence had been long, and though he seemed to be thinking, Usagi couldn't take his speechless state much longer. She frowned hopelessly and opened her mouth. _Okay._ She thought. _Just apologize and ask him to forget everything you just said._ "Chichiri…" Her tone was already apologetic.

In that instant he'd leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, not fully kissing her, but certainly shutting her up. He would have said it if she hadn't fallen silent. He pecked her lower lip while she responded by touching his cheek with one hand and keeping herself up with the other. She still leaned forward but now was propped up on her knees. She felt goofy on all fours. Well, now three. Chichiri's touched the small of her back and gently tugged, pulling her forward until she pressed against him. His tongue passed by her lips, eager to delve again like before. If she leaned against him any more she'd have tipped the both of them over. She made a note to stay still but laughed at herself when he fell back. She never was good at listening, least of all to herself. This had broken the kiss but she obviously wasn't bothered. She hovered over him now, her hair draping at either side. She leaned down for another kiss and let herself rest atop him. This was the most at ease they'd been, she thought. Even more than before when they'd first kissed. Of course, that _was_ the first kiss. And of course having it interrupted didn't help, and the _way_ in which it was interrupted. She deepened the kiss and grinned inwardly at the feel of his hands roaming her back.

"How cute. You two should get a room, really." A sappy voice teased. Usagi sat up with a start. Chichiri awkwardly cleared his throat and sat up as well. "You're both so easy to spot." The voice came from above and the couple looked to the top of the tree. Perched in the highest branch was a young woman. Her skin was a murky shade of green with teal locks that fell to her hips. Her eyes looked bloodshot, like she'd stayed in the pool too long, her irises a faded blue. Only the important parts were covered, and that was with thick drenched strips of what looked like seaweed. Usagi squinted for a better look. Actually, she looked soaked all together. The woman smiled down at the two. "I've come for your pure hearts." Usagi's posture straightened and her expression hardened.

"If I had a nickel for every time…" Usagi was stopped short as Chichiri leaped toward her. The ground behind them came loose as an explosion hit and the two of them tumbled to a stop as earth rained down on them.

"Are you okay?" Chichiri looked down on her. He stood when she nodded. The girl hurried to her feet and gripped the monk's tunic as she stood safely behind him. He peered ahead near the small crater and cursed. He'd left his staff.

This new woman left her perch as she slowly descended to ground level. "I honestly don't know how you got by the others. You let your guard down far too easily. My guess is dumb luck." Her words were calm and focused. She raised her arm toward the two, her hand clenching the small sphere of white light in her hand. "Luck isn't going to get you out of this one though." She said, her tone giving away her hunger for destruction.

She reared back to make her move and Chichiri yanked away his cloak. With his hands pressed together he quickly mumbled a few incoherent phrases. The enemy hurled the sphere at them for all she was worth and with his last words his cloak went into action, blocking the couple off from the hit. The light struck the cloth and disappeared within it. A small glow shown through the other end of his cape and quickly he reached forward to take it.

"What the hell…?" She mumbled a moment later. Had he absorbed it? She formed another, this time larger and pitched it out. Again the bright sphere disappeared within the cloth. She sounded what she thought was a menacing snarl and used both her hands now. The couple stood still as she concentrated a great deal of her power into this one. Her hands contracted and the veins in her forearms protruded as the light grew.

Behind the shield of cloth Chichiri looked back at Usagi with a smile. "I don't think she's learning, ya' know." This made the blonde whisper a chuckle. The next blow was dealt with tremendous force; the wisps from the tree were swept up with the gust of wind and the water from the lake rippled restlessly away from shore. All this effort and the couple weren't affected, again the cloak had simply swallowed her power.

Like before, the spheres of light leaked through the other end. He'd absorbed every hit and gradually gathered it into his own hands. She stopped after the third hit, mostly likely strategizing. He peaked past the cloth to make sure. She stood there dumbfounded, her stance exhausted and pathetic. He gathered it all and readied himself behind his makeshift shield.

"Come out!" The woman shouted, sounding much like a child who wasn't getting her way. "You can't just hide behind that forever! Why don't you fight for a change! Coward!!" Chichiri took away the spell on the cloak and it fluttered to the ground. This satisfied their enemy, but only until she saw what was at the other side. "Shit…" was all she could manage before the monk hurled her own clout right back at her. Her legs didn't respond quickly enough to dodge the blow, but it hadn't hit her full on. When she finally did move, the sphere hit her entire left side, sending her spiraling to the floor. She landed with a disgruntled whimper. She was sapped; the blow had rendered her still. She found the strength to direct her gaze toward her singed flesh before clocking out.

Chichiri took the piece and tied it back around one shoulder and then went for his staff. Usagi stepped toward the hole in the earth. It wasn't very big in diameter, but appeared deep enough to hold half of her. The fact that it struck her favorite sitting spot gave her added incentive to walk over and shove her foot in the woman's face.

(-Break-)

"If you don't find it in the next ten minutes I officially disown you! We should have found this thing a week ago." Tetsuya rolled his eyes behind his shades. He knew that his friend was all talk. Most of this was anxiety over not knowing how his sister was, anyway. He was worried too. He rummaged through a forgotten box at the floor of his closet. No book. "I can't believe you lost it in the first place!" Kesuki reprimanded again.

"Hey, I didn't lose it!" Tetsuya argued as he stomped into the living room. Kesuki reached in the fridge and threw a beer at his friend, hoping it would knock him square in the face. Instead, he caught it effortlessly with a grin and tipped the bottle to the side as if to say "Thank you, cheers". The added sarcasm didn't help, but he was getting just a tad bit fed up with feeling like the scolded child.

"Did you find it?" Kesuki asked and twisted the cap off. Tetsuya shook his head. "Okay," he strained to say after a long drink. "I hereby strip you of all your rights as a friend." Tetsuya stared down his friend, though he didn't realize it. Sometimes shades were a good thing, and sometimes they were just downright annoying. Why the hell did he wear them indoors anyway? He yanked them away and angrily chucked them to the floor.

"Look, I didn't lose the fucking book, Kesuki!" He approached the kitchen where the blonde stood and slapped the island countertop. "I put it right here, right here! The only time it left my sight was when I went to the bathroom to take a leak." Kesuki nodded, but clearly was still annoyed.

"A little too much information, but fine. Why isn't it here then?" Tetsuya threw up his hands thinking, _How the fuck should I know, you idiot!_ The two finished their first beer and drank away at a second. By the third the two simply stood side by side in silence, staring down the countertop. "Maybe if we stare at it hard enough the book will come back." The blonde man offered sarcastically. This got him scowled at for several seconds.

"I've got an idea." Tetsuya proposed and opened the fridge. "How about we finish the rest of this case of beer and _then_ stare at the counter in meaningless hopes that it will return?"

"How many are left?"

"Sixteen."

"Fuck it, let's drink!" Tetsuya took two more bottles from the bottom shelf and tossed one his friend's way. Kesuki twisted the cap off and stared at the label. "What kind of beer is this, anyway?" His friend had already chugged half of his.

"Some American brand." He answered simply.

"I know that, but what's it called?" Tetsuya paused before answering him.

"Didn't you take English?"

"Yes, asshole, but I don't speak it that much. What is it called?"

"Rogue Dead Guy Ale."

"Kinda' bitter." Kesuki mumbled after taking a long pull.

(-Break-)

The group adapted to one another quickly and today they all loafed about in the throne room. Ami sat with Mitsukake and Chiriko listened babbling on about what she knew of herbal medicine and ancient text. Rei teased Tasuki about his fangs while he threw thoughtless insults at her, for lack of finding something to make fun of her over. Makoto spoke with Nuriko, mainly questioning him about his preference in gender which didn't seem to bother him in the least. He went on to give her some tips on make up. Mina drooled all over his highness and he reveled in the attention. Miaka and Tamahome sat at the stairs as usual and surveyed the people around them with satisfied smiles. As for the two lovers, they at the back wall, behind Hotohori's throne, arms crossed, ears open. The doors opened and through stepped Chichiri and Usagi. Usagi made her way to the stairs and took a seat next to the priestess. The monk stood and faced his highness.

"They're still coming." Usagi announced after a sigh.

"Did we miss the fun?" Nuriko asked, smiling on the outside but worried on the inside. The emperor stood from his seat and eyed the crowd of women to speak.

"What exactly are they after?" Haruka stepped from the background at this question. Michiru wasn't far behind.

"Pure hearts." Usagi answered with a dreary tone of voice.

"And," Haruka placed her hand over Hotohori's shoulder with a cautious look in her eyes. "That's all we can say." There was an awkward silence.

"Come on, Haruka." Ami pressed. "Surely we can at least let them know what these pure hearts are." The older woman thought on this for a moment before nodding. She then looked to the emperor.

"Every person carries a heart crystal." She started. He nodded at this; he'd heard Usagi mention pure hearts before. "These enemies are after a pure heart, which is a great deal more valuable than that of a regular heart crystal. Unfortunately that's all I can say… for now at least." He respected her reluctance and left it at that.

"For now, we must keep our eyes on the pri…" Michiru caught herself and quickly faked a cough. "Usagi at all times. She is not to leave our sight. We need to group together and formulate a plan to get into Hokkan." Her slip up drew in the crowd's attention.


End file.
